Orbital Motion Worksheet

Orbital Motion Worksheet

Read each question carefully and provide thorough answers. Show all your work for calculations.

1. Which of Kepler's Laws states that planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus?

2. The force responsible for keeping a satellite in orbit around the Earth is:

3. According to Kepler's Third Law, the square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of its  .

4. The escape velocity is the minimum speed an object needs to break free from the gravitational attraction of a  .

5. A geostationary satellite orbits the Earth directly above the equator and has an orbital period of 24 hours.

6. The gravitational force between two objects increases as the distance between their centers increases.

7. Explain the concept of orbital velocity and the factors that influence it.

8. Describe the difference between a geosynchronous orbit and a geostationary orbit.

9. Calculate the orbital speed of a satellite orbiting Earth at an altitude of 500 km. (Given: Mass of Earth = 5.97 x 10^24 kg, Radius of Earth = 6.37 x 10^6 m, G = 6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2)

10. The image above illustrates the uniform circular motion of the Moon around the Earth. Using your understanding of orbital mechanics, explain why the Moon does not fall into the Earth despite the constant gravitational pull.