# 6.6 Satellites and kepler’s laws: an argument for simplicity  (Page 4/5)

 Page 4 / 5

A non-satellite body fulfilling only the first two of the above criteria is classified as “dwarf planet.”

In 2006, Pluto was demoted to a ‘dwarf planet’ after scientists revised their definition of what constitutes a “true” planet.

Orbital data and kepler’s third law
Parent Satellite Average orbital radius r (km) Period T(y) r 3 / T 2 (km 3 / y 2 )
Earth Moon $3.84×{\text{10}}^{5}$ 0.07481 $1\text{.}\text{01}×{\text{10}}^{\text{19}}$
Sun Mercury $5\text{.}\text{79}×{\text{10}}^{7}$ 0.2409 $3\text{.}\text{34}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Venus $1\text{.}\text{082}×{\text{10}}^{8}$ 0.6150 $3\text{.}\text{35}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Earth $1\text{.}\text{496}×{\text{10}}^{8}$ 1.000 $3\text{.}\text{35}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Mars $2\text{.}\text{279}×{\text{10}}^{8}$ 1.881 $3\text{.}\text{35}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Jupiter $7\text{.}\text{783}×{\text{10}}^{8}$ 11.86 $3\text{.}\text{35}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Saturn $1\text{.}\text{427}×{\text{10}}^{9}$ 29.46 $3\text{.}\text{35}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Neptune $4\text{.}\text{497}×{\text{10}}^{9}$ 164.8 $3\text{.}\text{35}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Pluto $5\text{.}\text{90}×{\text{10}}^{9}$ 248.3 $3\text{.}\text{33}×{\text{10}}^{\text{24}}$
Jupiter Io $4\text{.}\text{22}×{\text{10}}^{5}$ 0.00485 (1.77 d) $3\text{.}\text{19}×{\text{10}}^{\text{21}}$
Europa $6\text{.}\text{71}×{\text{10}}^{5}$ 0.00972 (3.55 d) $3\text{.}\text{20}×{\text{10}}^{\text{21}}$
Ganymede $1\text{.}\text{07}×{\text{10}}^{6}$ 0.0196 (7.16 d) $3\text{.}\text{19}×{\text{10}}^{\text{21}}$
Callisto $1\text{.}\text{88}×{\text{10}}^{6}$ 0.0457 (16.19 d) $3\text{.}\text{20}×{\text{10}}^{\text{21}}$

The universal law of gravitation is a good example of a physical principle that is very broadly applicable. That single equation for the gravitational force describes all situations in which gravity acts. It gives a cause for a vast number of effects, such as the orbits of the planets and moons in the solar system. It epitomizes the underlying unity and simplicity of physics.

Before the discoveries of Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and others, the solar system was thought to revolve around Earth as shown in [link] (a). This is called the Ptolemaic view, for the Greek philosopher who lived in the second century AD. This model is characterized by a list of facts for the motions of planets with no cause and effect explanation. There tended to be a different rule for each heavenly body and a general lack of simplicity.

[link] (b) represents the modern or Copernican model. In this model, a small set of rules and a single underlying force explain not only all motions in the solar system, but all other situations involving gravity. The breadth and simplicity of the laws of physics are compelling. As our knowledge of nature has grown, the basic simplicity of its laws has become ever more evident.

## Section summary

• Kepler’s laws are stated for a small mass $m$ orbiting a larger mass $M$ in near-isolation. Kepler’s laws of planetary motion are then as follows:

Kepler’s first law

The orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus.

Kepler’s second law

Each planet moves so that an imaginary line drawn from the Sun to the planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

Kepler’s third law

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:

where $T$ is the period (time for one orbit) and $r$ is the average radius of the orbit.

• The period and radius of a satellite’s orbit about a larger body $M$ are related by
${T}^{2}=\frac{{4\pi }^{2}}{\text{GM}}{r}^{3}$

or

$\frac{{r}^{3}}{{T}^{2}}=\frac{G}{{4\pi }^{2}}M\text{.}$

What does mean ohms law imply
what is matter
Anything that occupies space
Kevin
Any thing that has weight and occupies space
Victoria
Anything which we can feel by any of our 5 sense organs
Suraj
Right
Roben
thanks
Suraj
what is a sulphate
Alo
Alo
the time rate of increase in velocity is called
acceleration
Emma
What is uniform velocity
Victoria
Greetings,users of that wonderful app.
how to solve pressure?
how do we calculate weight and eara eg an elefant that weight 2000kg has four fits or legs search of surface eara is 0.1m2(1metre square) incontact with the ground=10m2(g =10m2)
Cruz
P=F/A
Mira
can someone derive the formula a little bit deeper?
Bern
what is coplanar force?
what is accuracy and precision
How does a current follow?
follow?
akif
which one dc or ac current.
akif
how does a current following?
Vineeta
?
akif
AC current
Vineeta
AC current follows due to changing electric field and magnetic field.
akif
Abubakar
ok bro thanks
akif
flows
Abubakar
but i wanted to understand him/her in his own language
akif
but I think the statement is written in English not any other language
Abubakar
my mean that in which form he/she written this,will understand better in this form, i write.
akif
ok
Abubakar
ok thanks bro. my mistake
Vineeta
u are welcome
Abubakar
what is a semiconductor
substances having lower forbidden gap between valence band and conduction band
akif
what is a conductor?
Vineeta
replace lower by higher only
akif
convert 56°c to kelvin
Abubakar
How does a current follow?
Vineeta
A semiconductor is any material whose conduction lies between that of a conductor and an insulator.
AKOWUAH
what is Atom? what is molecules? what is ions?
What is a molecule
Is a unit of a compound that has two or more atoms either of the same or different atoms
Justice
A molecule is the smallest indivisible unit of a compound, Just like the atom is the smallest indivisible unit of an element.
Rachel
what is a molecule?
Vineeta
what is a vector
A quantity that has both a magnitude AND a direction. E.g velocity, acceleration, force are all vector quantities. Hope this helps :)
deage
what is the difference between velocity and relative velocity?
Mackson
Velocity is the rate of change of displacement with time. Relative velocity on the other hand is the velocity observed by an observer with respect to a reference point.
Chuks
what do u understand by Ultraviolet catastrophe?
Rufai
A certain freely falling object, released from rest, requires 1.5seconds to travel the last 30metres before it hits the ground. (a) Find the velocity of the object when it is 30metres above the ground.
Mackson
A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction
Rufus
the velocity Is 20m/s-2
Rufus
derivation of electric potential
V = Er = (kq/r^2)×r V = kq/r Where V: electric potential.
Chuks
what is the difference between simple motion and simple harmonic motion ?
syed
hi
Peace
hi
Rufus
hi
Chip
simple harmonic motion is a motion of tro and fro of simple pendulum and the likes while simple motion is a linear motion on a straight line.
Muinat
a body acceleration uniform from rest a 6m/s -2 for 8sec and decelerate uniformly to rest in the next 5sec,the magnitude of the deceleration is ?
The wording not very clear kindly
Moses
6
Leo
9.6m/s2
Jolly
the magnitude of deceleration =-9.8ms-2. first find the final velocity using the known acceleration and time. next use the calculated velocity to find the size of deceleration.
Mackson
wrong
Peace
-3.4m/s-2
Justice
Hi
Abj
Firstly, calculate final velocity of the body and then the deceleration. The final ans is,-9.6ms-2
Muinat
8x6= 48m/-2 use v=u + at 48÷5=9.6
Lawrence
can i define motion like this motion can be define as the continuous change of an object or position
Any object in motion will come to rest after a time duration. Different objects may cover equal distance in different time duration. Therefore, motion is defined as a change in position depending on time.
Chuks