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Worksheetselliptical orbits
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 5mins
The planets in our solar system all have ______________ orbits.
spherical
elliptical
circular
highly eccentric
An orbit with the eccentricity of 0.9 would have more of a(n) __________ shaped orbit.
spherical
elongated
circular
spiral
The value of eccentricity can range from ________ to ________.
0.1 to 0.9
-1 to 0
0 to 100
0 to 1
Our solar system can best be described by the ______________ model.
heliocentric
geocentric
ellipticalcentric
When a planet orbits the Sun, one of the foci of the elliptical orbit is _______________.
the axis
the perihelion
the center
the sun
What effect does increasing the distance between an ellipse’s foci have on the shape of an ellipse?
Increases eccentricity
Decreases eccentricity
no effect
Which statement best describes Kepler’s 2nd Law of Planetary Motion?
Planets revolve around the sun over equal areas in equal time intervals.
Planetary orbits are in the shape of an ellipse.
A planet’s orbital period is proportionate to its distance from the sun.
Where will an object move at the greatest speed as it orbits the sun?
Perihelion
Aphelion
Between perihelion and aphelion
An orbital period is the time (in Earth time) a planet _______________ .
to complete one orbit around the sun
revolves around the solar system
Experiences a season
Which statement best describes Kepler’s 3rd Law of Planetary Motion?
The closer a planet is to the sun, the shorter the orbital period is.
Planetary orbits are in the shape of an ellipse
The closer a planet is to its star, the lesser its orbital velocity.
