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Class Notes - Kepler's Laws

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20 views

Class Notes - Kepler's Laws

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jackxjack2000
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Class Notes: Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion (Qualitative)

What Are Kepler’s Laws?

● Kepler’s laws describe the motion of planets around the Sun.


● They show that planetary orbits aren’t perfect circles and reveal how speed and distance
change in orbit.
● These laws apply to any object in orbit, not just planets (e.g., moons, satellites).

Kepler’s First Law: The Law of Ellipses

● Planets orbit the Sun in an elliptical path, with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.
● Key idea: Orbits aren’t perfect circles—they’re slightly stretched out.
● Example: Earth’s orbit is almost circular, but it’s technically an ellipse.

Kepler’s Second Law: The Law of Equal Areas

● A line drawn from a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal amounts of time.
● Key idea: Planets move faster when they’re closer to the Sun (perihelion) and slower
when they’re farther away (aphelion).
● Example: Earth moves faster in January (closer to the Sun) than in July (farther from the
Sun).

Kepler’s Third Law: The Law of Harmonies

● The square of a planet’s orbital period (T2T^2T2) is proportional to the cube of its
average distance from the Sun (r3r^3r3).
● Key idea: Planets farther from the Sun take much longer to orbit than closer planets.
● Example: Jupiter takes about 12 Earth years to orbit the Sun because it’s much farther
away.

Why Are Kepler’s Laws Important?

● They laid the groundwork for modern astronomy and physics.


● They proved that the universe is predictable and governed by mathematical laws.
● They help scientists calculate orbits for planets, moons, and spacecraft.
Applications of Kepler’s Laws

● Space Exploration: Predicting spacecraft trajectories.


● Astronomy: Understanding the motion of exoplanets.
● Satellite Technology: Designing stable orbits for satellites.

Key Concepts to Remember

● Orbits are ellipses, not perfect circles.


● A planet’s speed in orbit changes based on its distance from the Sun.
● The farther a planet is, the longer its orbital period.

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