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PHYSICAL SCIENCE
I. UNIT NO. & TITLE: Unit II: Physics Matters
II. LESSON NO. & TITLE: Lesson 13: Orbits and Kepler's Laws
III. WEEK NUMBER: Week 11
IV. MODULE NUMBER: Module 13
V. OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, students must be able to:
Explain how Brahe’s innovations and extensive collection of data in observational
astronomy paved the way for Kepler’s discovery of his laws of planetary motion
VI. REFERENCES : Teaching Guide for Senior High School ( Physical Science) Published by the Commission on
Higher Education, 2016
VII. ACTIVITY: Finding Out Ideas : Write your own opinion about the question below
What are the three laws of Kepler’s Planetary
Motion?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________
Write your answers in the box.
VIII. DISCUSSION:
While Copernicus rightly observed that the planets revolve around the Sun, it was Kepler who correctly defined their orbits.
At the age of 27, Kepler became the assistant of a wealthy astronomer, Tycho Brahe, who asked him to define the orbit of Mars.
Brahe had collected a lifetime of astronomical observations, which, on his death, passed into Kepler’s hands. (Brahe, who had his own
Earth-centered model of the Universe, withheld the bulk of his observations from Kepler at least in part because he did not want Kepler
to use them to prove Copernican theory correct.) Using these observations, Kepler found that the orbits of the planets followed three
laws.
Here are those three laws, please read it and later on we'll have
some exercises to further enhance your mathematical skills and
connections on the application of the third law to our daily activities.
First Law: Law of Elliptical Orbit
The orbit of each planet around the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at
one focus.
Second Law: Law of Equal Areas
Each planet moves so that an imaginary line drawn from the Sun to the
planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times.
Third Law: Law of Harmony
The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets
about the Sun is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average
distances from the Sun. In equation form, this is:
where P is the period (time for one
orbit) and R is the average radius.
This equation is only valid for
comparing two small masses orbiting
the same large one. Most importantly,
this is a descriptive equation only, giving no information as to
the cause of equality.
Note again that while, for historical reasons, Kepler’s laws are
stated for planets orbiting the Sun, they are actually
valid for all bodies satisfying the two previously stated conditions.
Example #1.
Mean Distance of the Earth from the Sun Verified
Problem: The mean solar distance of Venus is 1.08 x 10 (11)
meters with a period of 0.614 year. If the Earth orbits the sun
once a year,
what is its mean distance from the sun?
Strategy: Using Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary Motion:
R (earth)3= (Pearth/Pvenus)2 (Rvenus)3
= (1 yr/0.614 yr)2 (1.08 x 10 11)3
= 3.341446594 x 10 33 m3
Get the cube root =1.50 x 10 11 m (This is one of the many physical constants that is usually used related to our planet.)
Article Reading
Orbits and Kepler's Laws
Source: NASA
Published: June 26, 2008
Historical Date: June 26, 2008
Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Kepler's three laws describe how planetary bodies orbit about the Sun. They describe how (1) planets move in elliptical orbits
with the Sun as a focus, (2) a planet covers the same area of space in the same amount of time no matter where it is in its
orbit, and (3) a planet’s orbital period is proportional to the size of its orbit (its semi-major axis).
Explore the process that Johannes Kepler undertook when he formulated his three laws of planetary motion.
The planets orbit the Sun in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above the Sun's north pole, and the planets' orbits
all are aligned to what astronomers call the ecliptic plane.
The story of our greater understanding of planetary motion could not be told if it were not for the work of a German
mathematician named Johannes Kepler. Kepler lived in Graz, Austria during the tumultuous early 17th century. Due to
religious and political difficulties common during that era, Kepler was banished from Graz on August 2nd, 1600.
Fortunately, an opportunity to work as an assistant for the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe presented itself and the young
Kepler moved his family from Graz 300 miles across the Danube River to Brahe's home in Prague. Tycho Brahe is credited with
the most accurate astronomical observations of his time and was impressed with the studies of Kepler during an earlier
meeting. However, Brahe mistrusted Kepler, fearing that his bright young intern might eclipse him as the premier astronomer
of his day. He therefore led Kepler see only part of his voluminous planetary data.
He set Kepler, the task of understanding the orbit of the planet Mars, the movement of which fit problematically into the
universe as described by Aristotle and Ptolemy. It is believed that part of the motivation for giving the Mars problem to Kepler
was Brahe's hope that its difficulty would occupy Kepler while Brahe worked to perfect his own theory of the solar system,
which was based on a geocentric model, where the earth is the center of the solar system. Based on this model, the planets
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn all orbit the Sun, which in turn orbits the earth. As it turned out, Kepler, unlike
Brahe, believed firmly in the Copernican model of the solar system known as heliocentric, which correctly placed the Sun at its
center. But the reason Mars' orbit was problematic was because the Copernican system incorrectly assumed the orbits of the
planets to be circular.
After much struggling, Kepler was forced to an eventual realization that the orbits of the planets are not circles, but were
instead the elongated or flattened circles that geometers call ellipses, and the particular difficulties Brahe hand with the
movement of Mars were due to the fact that its orbit was the most elliptical
of the planets for which Brahe had extensive
data. Thus, in a twist of irony, Brahe unwittingly gave Kepler the very part
of his data that would enable Kepler to formulate
the correct theory of the solar system, banishing Brahe's own theory.
Since the orbits of the planets are ellipses, let us review three basic
properties of ellipses. The first property of an ellipse: an
ellipse is defined by two points, each called a focus, and together called
foci. The sum of the distances to the foci from any
point on the ellipse is always a constant. The second property of an ellipse:
the amount of flattening of the ellipse is called the
eccentricity. The flatter the ellipse, the more eccentric it is. Each ellipse
has an eccentricity with a value between zero, a circle,
and one, essentially a flat line, technically called a parabola.
The third property of an ellipse: the longest axis of the ellipse is called the
major axis, while the shortest axis is called the
minor axis. Half of the major axis is termed a semi major axis. Knowing then that the orbits of the planets are elliptical,
johannes Kepler formulated three laws of planetary motion, which accurately described the motion of comets as well.
Kepler's First Law: each planet's orbit about the Sun is an ellipse. The Sun's center is always located at one focus of the orbital
ellipse. The Sun is at one focus. The planet follows the ellipse in its orbit, meaning that the planet to Sun distance is constantly
changing as the planet goes around its orbit.
Kepler's Second Law: the imaginary line joining a planet and the sons sweeps equal areas of space during equal time intervals
as the planet orbits. Basically, that planets do not move with constant speed along their orbits. Rather, their speed varies so
that the line joining the centers of the Sun and the planet sweeps out equal parts of an area in equal times. The point of
nearest approach of the planet to the Sun is termed perihelion. The point of greatest separation is aphelion, hence by Kepler's
Second Law, a planet is moving fastest when it is at perihelion and slowest at aphelion.
Kepler's Third Law: the squares of the orbital periods of the planets are directly proportional to the cubes of the semi major
axes of their orbits. Kepler's Third Law implies that the period for a planet to orbit the Sun increases rapidly with the radius of
its orbit. Thus we find that Mercury, the innermost planet, takes only 88 days to orbit the Sun. The earth takes 365 days, while
Saturn requires 10,759 days to do the same. Though Kepler hadn't known about gravitation when he came up with his three
laws, they were instrumental in Isaac Newton deriving his theory of universal gravitation, which explains the unknown force
behind Kepler's Third Law. Kepler and his theories were crucial in the b etter understanding of our solar system dynamics and
as a springboard to newer theories that more accurately approximate our planetary orbits.
Our Solar System
IX. PRACTICE/APPLICATION/SYNTHESIS: (See worksheet #13)
X. ASSESSMENT: (See worksheet #13)
XI. REFLECTION: (See worksheet #13)
Achieve Great Things, Initiate Changes, Transform from Better to best, Excel and Remain
Humble
Olinsterg Bldg., Maharlika Highway, Poblacion III, Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines
Telefax Number: (042)-545-6547 / Cell No. 0922-8934738
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
WORK SHEET NO. 13
Name: ______________________________ Grade & Section:___________________
I. PRACTICE/APPLICATION/SYNTHESIS:
I Can Do These!
Crossword Puzzle: Complete the puzzle below.
ACROSS
1. The average distance of this planet from the sun is 1.52 AU (AU is equal to the distance from the earth to
the sun - 1.4957 x 1011 m). Using the Law of Harmonies, compute the orbital period in units of earth-
years (where 1 earth year is the time required for the earth to orbit the sun - 3.156 x 107 seconds.)
2. The average distance of this planet from the sun is 5.2. Using the Law of Harmonies, compute for the
orbital period in units of earth-years.
DOWN
3. This planet has an orbital period of 0.241 years and its average distance from the sun is 0.39 AU. Show the
planet’s T2/R3 ratio.
4. The average distance of this planet from the sun is 39.44. Using the Law of Harmonies, compute for the
orbital period in units of earth-years.
5. The average distance of this planet from the sun is 9.54. Using Law of Harmonies, compute the orbital
period in units of earth-years.
II. ASSESSMENT:
Problem Solving
1. Ganymede and Io are natural satellites of Jupiter. Using the law of harmonies, compute the period of Ganymede
around Jupiter given that Io is 4.2 units away from Jupiter and moves around this planet in 1.8 Earth days.
Ganymede is 10.7 units away.
2. The distance of Venus from the sun is approximately 0.722 AU. If 1 AU is the distance from Earth to the sun, how
long will it take Venus to complete one revolution around the sun.
III. REFLECTION:
List down the activities that you did for this week and identify among those activities where you can apply the
lesson/s that you have learned from this module. Write your answer below with minimum of at least five
sentences.
III. FEEDBACK: (Teacher’s comments or reactions after submission and checking.)
Prepared by: Checked By:
VI-JAY D. SALCEDO,LPT JOAN B. DIMACULANGAN,LPT
Subject Teacher Academic Coordinator
Noted By:
LAARNI L. TOLENTINO,LPT
School Principal
