PHYS1160 EXPERIMENT RESULTS.docx

PHYS1160 EXPERIMENT RESULTS 1a) What is the shape of the orbit of the planet? - Perfect circular orbit 1b) How many Earth days does it take to complete one orbit? - 365 days 1c) Which planet in our Solar System does this represent? - Planet Earth 2) Take a screen capture of the orbit

4) Change the mass of the planet to whatever mass you like and replay the orbit, pausing when one orbit has completed. (changed the ‘mass of the planet’ to 1.5x original mass) 4a) What happens to its orbit? - The orbit is unchanged and continues to orbit as a perfect circle around the sun 4b) How is the orbit different to the first case? - The orbit is not different to the first case. It remains the exact same regardless of the change in the mass of the planet. 4c) If it is different, why is it different? - It is not different – N/A 4d) Take a screen capture of the orbit.

5. Shorten the length of the velocity arrow (also called a vector) by clicking on the circled v and making the arrow shorter. Ensure that the planet still completes a full orbit. 5a) Take a screen capture of the orbit. 5b) What is the new orbital period of the planet? - 246 days 5c) How did the shape of the orbit change? - The shape of the orbit is still a perfect circular motion; however, the orbit is much smaller and has a closer path on the left-hand side of the sun to that of the right-hand side. This means the ‘period’ of the orbit has decreased. 5d) Why did it change? - Decreasing the velocity of an orbiting planet changes the shape of the orbit in accordance with Kepler's laws because a slower orbital speed alters the balance between kinetic and potential energy. Kepler's second law states that a planet sweeps equal areas in equal times, and when the velocity decreases, the planet spends more time in regions closer to the

central body. This elongates the orbit, adhering to Kepler's first law, which describes orbits as ellipses with the central body at one of the ends of the orbit. 5e) How did the length of the velocity arrow change throughout a full orbit? What does this mean? - As the orbiting planet moved closer to the Sun, the centre planet, the velocity arrow of the planet gets larger indicating that it’s getting faster. This is due to the orbital path being very close to the Sun, and therefore the gravitational force is at its highest. 5f) Which of Kepler’s laws explains this? - According to Kepler's laws, the velocity of an orbiting planet changes due to the conservation of angular momentum. Kepler's second law states that a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times, meaning it moves faster when closer to the central body (like the Sun) and slower when farther away. As the planet moves along its elliptical orbit, the changing distance from the central body causes the velocity to vary, adhering to the conservation of angular momentum principle. 6a) Note whether the gravity vector/arrow is the same for the planet and the Sun or not. - The gravity vector/arrow is the exact same for the planet and the Sun. As the orbiting planet goes around the Sun, the gravity vector between the two planets is perfectly opposite to each other whilst being in complete harmonious rhythm. 6b) Note whether the velocity vector/arrow is the same for the duration of the planets orbit. - As the orbiting planet moved closer to the Sun, the centre planet, the velocity arrow of the planet gets larger indicating that it’s getting faster. This is due to the orbital path being very close to the Sun, and therefore the gravitational force is at its highest. 6c) Also note whether the Sun appears to move as the planet orbits.

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