Topicm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449000663_0Topic

Kepler’s laws

Levelm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449084556_0Level

Thrid

Core curriculumm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449076687_0Core curriculum

III. Gravity and elements of astronomy. The student:

4) describes the structure of the Solar System and its place in the Galaxy; uses the concepts of the astronomical unit and the light year.

Timingm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449068082_0Timing

45 minutes

General learning objectivesm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449523725_0General learning objectives

Describes the motion of planets using the three Kepler’s laws.

Key competencesm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449552113_0Key competences

1. Defines a planetary orbit and explain its shape.

2. Solves problems using Kepler’s laws.

Operational (detailed) goalsm959d6befab8e20f6_1528450430307_0Operational (detailed) goals

The student:

- explains the three Kepler’s laws,

- applies the third Kepler’s law in exercises.

Methodsm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449534267_0Methods

1. Discussion.

2. Text analysis.

Forms of workm959d6befab8e20f6_1528449514617_0Forms of work

1. Individual work.

2. Group work.

Lesson stages

Introductionm959d6befab8e20f6_1528450127855_0Introduction

The students remind the parameters describing an ellipse.

What parameters describe ellipses?

Procedurem959d6befab8e20f6_1528446435040_0Procedure

The teacher introduces the Kepler’s laws.

The motion of the planets is described by the three Kepler’s laws. These laws were derived for planets orbiting the Sun, but they apply to satellite orbits as well.

1Indeks górny st Kepler’s law:

Definition:

The law of orbits - All planets move in elliptical orbits, with the Sun at one focus.

[Illustration 1]

The perihelionperihelionperihelion is the point of any orbit around the Sun where the planet comes closest to the Sun. The aphelionaphelionaphelion, is the point in which the distance of the planet to the Sun is the largest. For any satellite orbiting the Earth such points are called perigeeperigeeperigee and apogeeapogeeapogee, respectively.

The distance between the perihelionperihelionperihelion and aphelionaphelionaphelion is called major axis.

The mean distance of the planet to the Sun is expressed as:

a=rmax+rmin2

what corresponds to the length of the semi‑major axis of the orbit.

2Indeks górny nd Kepler’s law:

Definition:

The law of areas – A line that connects a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

[Interactive graphics]

The speed at which any planet moves on its orbit is constantly changing. The hatched areas in the picture will be the same, if the times of the planet’s motion along the corresponding fragments of elliptic path are equal. In consequence, the planet moves the fastest around perihelion and the slowest in the aphelion.m959d6befab8e20f6_1527752256679_0The speed at which any planet moves on its orbit is constantly changing. The hatched areas in the picture will be the same, if the times of the planet’s motion along the corresponding fragments of elliptic path are equal. In consequence, the planet moves the fastest around perihelion and the slowest in the aphelion.

3Indeks górny rd Kepler’s law:

Definition:

The law of periods – The square of the period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the semi‑major axis of its orbit:

T12a13=T22a23

The indices 1 and 2 denote the semi‑major axes and the periods of the planets 1 and 2, respectively.

The Kepler’s third law implies that the period of a planet orbiting the Sun increases rapidly with the radius of its orbit.

Task 1

The ratio T2a3 is nearly the same for every planet. Find the appropriate values for the planets in our Solar System and calculate the ratio T2a3 for each planet. Check if you get very similar results.

Lesson summarym959d6befab8e20f6_1528450119332_0Lesson summary

Kepler's three laws describe the motion of the planets around the Sun. They hold not just in our own Solar System, but are general universal relationships.m959d6befab8e20f6_1527752263647_0Kepler's three laws describe the motion of the planets around the Sun. They hold not just in our own Solar System, but are general universal relationships.

Selected words and expressions used in the lesson plan

perihelionperihelionperihelion

aphelionaphelionaphelion

perigeeperigeeperigee

apogeeapogeeapogee

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perihelion1
perihelion

peryhelium

R18oI1NY3uoyx
wymowa w języku angielskim: perihelion
aphelion1
aphelion

aphelium

RvH84HIsAuIyA
wymowa w języku angielskim: aphelion
perigee 1
perigee

perygeum

RSE9dp4aNIuYp
wymowa w języku angielskim: perigee
apogee1
apogee

apogeum

R1BL5lsvyUsQe
wymowa w języku angielskim: apogee