Orbits

Question 1

What is an orbit?

Answer 1

• The curved path of one celestial object around another celestial object

Question 2

Explain the orbit of the moon around the Earth

Answer 2

• Newton’s 1st law: the moon will continue travelling in forward direction
• Gravity from the Earth pulls the moon in
• Gravity from the Earth is not great enough to completely pull the moon due to the moon’s mass, instead the gravity slightly changes the moons direction
• Therefore, the moon continues in a circular orbit
• As velocity is a vector quantity, and the moons direction is constantly chaning, the moons velocity is also constantly changing
• As acceleration is change in velocity over time, and the velocity is constantly changing, the moon is constantly accelerating

Question 3

What is the relationship between an objects size and speed in orbit?

Answer 3

• The smaller an object is, the faster is must travel to stay on course