Keplers Laws

Planetary & Satellite Motion

History Johannes Kepler

Born in Germany in 1571

Assistant to Tycho Brahe (Danish)

Brahe, as an astronomer, meticulously

gathered planetary data

Kepler analyzed Brahes Mars data and
postulated 3 foundation laws of planetary
motion (1609+)

Keplers First Law - Ellipses

Planets move in elliptical orbits with the

Sun as one of the foci

Keplers Second Law Equal

Areas

A line from the Sun to a planet sweeps

out equal areas in equal times.

Conservation of Angular Momentum v1r1 = v2r2

Keplers Third Law Periods

For all planets, the square of the orbital

period (T) of a planet is proportional to the
cube of the average orbital radius (R), or
T2 R3, or
T2/ R3 = constant = 42/GM, where

G = 6.67 x 10-11 N-m2/kg2

M = mass of the foci body (ex, Sun)

Practice Keplers 3rd Law

What is the orbital period (T) of Neptune if

its average orbital radius (R) is 4.495e12
and the mass of the sun is 1.99e30 kg?
Solve T2 = 42/(GM) x R3

T2 = 42/(6.67e-11*1.99e30)*(4.495e12)3
T2 = 2.70e19
T = 5.2e9 seconds

Example of Keplers 3rd Law

Calculate Ks 3rd law constant for Neptune,

given an orbital period (T) of 5.21e9 sec
and an average orbital radius (R) of
4.495e12 m.
Solve: T2/R3

(5.21e9)2/(4.495e12)3
= 2.97e-19 sec2/m3

Conventions Earth Based

Astronomic Unit (AU)

Earth Year (EY)

Facilitate calculations in the Solar

System, such that the constant = 1, or

1 AU = Sun-Earth distance
1 AU = 1.496 x 1011 meters

1 EY = period of Earth
1 EY = 365 days = 3.156 x 107 seconds
T2/ R3 = 1

Convention Calculations
HowTo?

To calculate relative values of AU and

EY for a planet

AU = planet-sun distance/earth-sun distance

EY = planet orbital period/earth orbital period
EX Mercury T = 7.6E6 s, R = 5.79E10 m
AU = 5.79E10/1.496E11 = 0.387
EY = 7.6E6/3.156E7 = 0.241

Cons of Energy
satellite motion

Circular

PE, KE do not
change

Elliptical

PE max @ apogee
Max orbit radius

KE max @ perigee
Max speed

Kepler Practice

The planet Mercury is 5.79 x 1010 m from

the Sun and has an orbital period of 7.6
x 106 seconds.

What is the orbital radius (R) in AU?

R = 5.79e10/1.496e11 = 0.387 AU

What is the orbital period (T) in EY?

T = 7.6e6/3.156e7 = 0.241 EY

What is the ratio of the orbital period (T)

(squared) to the orbital radius (R) (cubed)
using the AU and EY values?

Kepler Practice

The shuttle orbits the Earth at 400 kms

above the surface. If the radius and
mass of the Earth are 6.37 x 106 m and
5.98 x 1024 kg, respectively:

What is the period of the shuttles orbit (in

seconds)?

Solve using Ks 3rd Law T2= 42R3/(GM)

T = 5058 sec

Kepler Practice

Given that the moons period about the

earth is 27.32 days and that the earthmoon distance is 3.84 x 108 m,

Calculate the mass of the earth.

Solve using Ks 3rd Law: T2= 42R3/(GM)

M = 42R3/(GT2 )
M = 6.01 x 1024 kg