PhysicsLAB: Kepler's Laws: Worksheet #1

a = R_AV = ½ (R_A + R_P)

e = c / a

R_A = a + c
R_P = a - c

T² / R_AV³ = constant

Use the information that the mean distance of the planet Pluto from the sun is 39.6 AU to calculate its orbital period.

For the planet Mercury the perihelion distance has been found to be about 45.8 x 10⁹ meters and the aphelion distance is about 70.0 x 10⁹ meters. What is the eccentricity of the orbit of Mercury?

Refer to the following information for the next four questions.

Halley's comet has a period of 76 years, and its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.97. Use the fact that Kepler's constant is equal to 1 for satellites in our solar system when their periods are given in terms of earth years and their distances in terms of astronomical units.

Physlet Animation on Keper's Laws

What is the comet's average distance form the sun?

What is its greatest distance from the sun?

What is its least distance form the sun?

How does its greatest speed compare with its least speed?

Refer to the following information for the next two questions.

With the information given, determine Kepler's constant for each planet and then determine the experimental percent error for the given data against the accepted value of 1.

Uranus: period = 84.013 yr R_AV = 19.19 AU e = 0.047

What is Kepler's constant for the data on Uranus?

What is this data's percent error against the accepted value of 1?

Refer to the following information for the next two questions.

With the information given, determine Kepler's constant for each planet and then determine the experimental percent error for the given data against the accepted value of 1.

Neptune period = 164.783 yr R_AV = 30.07 AU e = 0.009

What is Kepler's contstant for the data on Neptune?

What is this data's percent error against the accepted value of 1?