Student Exploration: Orbital Motion – Kepler’s Laws
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: astronomical unit, eccentri
...
Student Exploration: Orbital Motion – Kepler’s Laws
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: astronomical unit, eccentricity, ellipse, force, gravity, Kepler’s first law, Kepler’s second law,
Kepler’s third law, orbit, orbital radius, period, vector, velocity
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. The orbit of Halley’s Comet, shown at right, has an oval shape. In
which part of its orbit do you think Halley’s Comet travels fastest?
Slowest? Mark these points on the diagram at right.
2. How might a collision between Neptune and Halley’s Comet affect
Neptune’s orbit?
Gizmo Warm-up
The path of each planet around the Sun is determined by two factors: its
current velocity (speed and direction) and the force of gravity on the
planet. You can manipulate both of these factors as you investigate
planetary orbits in the Orbital Motion – Kepler’s Laws Gizmo.
On the CONTROLS pane of the Gizmo, turn on Show trails and check
that Show vectors is on. Click Play ( ).
3. Click Reset ( ). Drag the tip of the purple arrow to shorten it and reduce the planet’s initial velocity. Click
Play. How does this affect the shape of the orbit?
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
Name: Date:
Halley's Comet does not have the size or mass to affect
Neptune's orbit at all
1. What is the shape of the planet’s
orbit?
an ellipse
[Show More]