NAAP Planetary Orbits Lab — Pedagogical Objectives
- Student will understand the definition and components of an ellipse: semimajor axis, semiminor axis, focus, eccentricity.
- Student will identify planetary orbits as ellipses with the sun at one focus and correlate this identification with Kepler's 1st Law.
- Student will demonstrate understanding that orbital speeds vary with time or place in the orbit and connect this variation of sped with Kepler's 2nd law.
- Student will be able to give the definition of Kepler's 3rd law and the units for which it is applicable.
- Student will demonstrate understanding that orbital period is independent of eccentricity.
- Student will demonstrate understanding that velocity is tangent to the orbital path.
- Student will demonstrate understanding that planet's are under constant acceleration from the force of gravity and that the acceleration is directed towards the sun.