Newton's Law of Universal Gravity and Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion

Flashcards covering key concepts from Newton's Law of Universal Gravity and Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion.

What does Newton's Law of Gravitation state?

Every body in the universe attracts every other body.

What is the universal gravitation constant (G)?

G = 6.67 x 10^-11 N-m²/kg², a measure used in the equation for gravitational force.

In the gravitational force equation F = GmM/d², what do m and M represent?

m represents one mass, and M represents another mass that is attracting each other.

How does gravity behave with very small objects?

Less gravity is felt when objects are very small, but the value is never zero.

What type of force is gravity classified as?

Gravity is a field force, not a contact force.

Who determined Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion using Tycho Brahe's data?

Johannes Kepler.

What is the first of Kepler's Laws?

The path of the planets about the Sun is elliptical, with the Sun at one focus.

What does the second law of Kepler state?

An imaginary line drawn from the center of the Sun to the center of the planet sweeps out equal areas in equal intervals of time.

What is the third law of Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion?

The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the Sun.

What does it indicate if the time for one orbit does not depend on the mass of the object in orbit?

Both a massive object (like a space station) and a tiny object (like a pebble) at the same distance from Earth will orbit with the same speed and period.