Unit 7: Gravitation

Every planet moves in an elliptical orbit, with the Sun at one focus.

As a planet moves in its orbit, a line drawn from the Sun to the planet sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals.

If T is the period, the time required to make one revolution, and a is the length of the semimajor axis of a planet’s orbit, then the ratio T^2/a^3 is the same for all planets orbiting the same star.

States that every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them

a fundamental constant of nature and has a value of approximately 6.674 x 10^-11 N * m^2 / kg^2

It is the energy possessed by an object due to its position in a gravitational field. It is defined as the work done in moving an object from infinity to a point in the gravitational field.

The deviation of an ellipse from a perfect circle is measured by a parameter called its ______.

The focus is at the center of mass of the Sun-planet system, because when one body orbits another, both bodies orbit around their center of mass, a point called the _________.

Actually, the focus is at the center of mass of the Sun-planet system, because when one body orbits another, both bodies orbit around their center of mass, a point called the ______.

The force of attraction between two objects with mass.

The path of an object as it revolves around another object in space.

An orbit that is shaped like an ellipse, which is an elongated circle.

The speed at which an object must travel to maintain a stable orbit around another object.

The amount of matter in an object.

The amount of space between two objects.

The minimum speed an object needs to escape the gravitational pull of a planet or other celestial body.

The time it takes for an object to complete one orbit around another object.

The collection of planets, moons, and other celestial objects that orbit around the Sun

The force of attraction between two objects with mass.

The path of an object as it revolves around another object in space.

An orbit that is shaped like an ellipse, which is an elongated circle.

The speed at which an object must travel to maintain a stable orbit around another object.

The amount of matter in an object.

The amount of space between two objects.

The minimum speed an object needs to escape the gravitational pull of a planet or other celestial body.

The time it takes for an object to complete one orbit around another object.

The collection of planets, moons, and other celestial objects that orbit around the Sun