Week 15 Online Lab: Orbital Motion Kepler’s Laws Gizmo
Explore Learning Gizmo: Orbital Motion – Kepler’s Laws
For this assignment, you'll use a Gizmo at the Explore Learning web site.
Before you begin:
Be sure you have read the assigned reading for the week.
You may want to print this document so that you can note observations as you work
with the gizmo. Later, you can type your answers into the Word document and upload it
with this assignment form.
All questions to answer are contained in this document. You don’t need to answer
any questions at the Explore Learning site.
This lab has a Prior Knowledge piece, a Warm-Up piece, and Activity A, B, & C.
You must answer in a different colored font (-1 point)
FINDING THE GIZMO
Follow these steps to find the Gizmo:
Go to the Explore Learning website: http://www.explorelearning.com/.
If you have not yet enrolled in the class -- In the upper right hand corner, click on Enroll
in a Class.
The class code you need is 6FZRUV6SEM (note - these are all capital letters).
Click on Continue.
If you have used the Explore Learning site before you should be able to log in using your
MNOHS username and password (for example, mnohs10ajones / piano227). If you
have never used Explore Learning before, you’ll need to register using your MNOHS
username and password with the class code. In other words, the class code is only
needed once!
Once inside the Physics course, look for the Gizmo called Orbital Motion – Kepler’s
Laws and click on Launch Gizmo.
This study source was downloaded by 100000835361505 from CourseHero.com on 01-28-2022 06:47:25 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/53051194/Week-15-Online-Lab-Orbital-Motion-Keplers-Laws-Gizmodoc/
, Vocabulary: astronomical unit, eccentricity, ellipse, force, gravity, Kepler’s first law, Kepler’s
second law, Kepler’s third law, orbit, orbital radius, period, vector, velocity
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. The orbit of Halley’s Comet, shown at right, has an oval
shape. In which part of its orbit do you think Halley’s
Comet travels fastest? Slowest? Mark these points on
the diagram at right.
2. How might a collision between Neptune and Halley’s
Comet affect Neptune’s orbit?
It will run off of its course
Fastest Slowest
Gizmo Warm-up
The path of each planet around the Sun is determined by
two factors: its current velocity (speed and direction) and
the force of gravity on the planet. You can manipulate both
of these factors as you investigate planetary orbits in the
Orbital Motion – Kepler’s Laws Gizmo™.
On the CONTROLS pane of the Gizmo, turn on Show trails
and check that Show vectors is on. Click Play ( ).
1. What is the shape of the planet’s orbit? A circle
2. Watch the orbit over time. Does the orbit ever change, or is it stable? The orbit is stable
3. Click Reset ( ). Drag the tip of the purple arrow to shorten it and reduce the planet’s initial
velocity. Click Play. How does this affect the shape of the orbit?
It is smaller and its more in the shape of an oval.
This study source was downloaded by 100000835361505 from CourseHero.com on 01-28-2022 06:47:25 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/53051194/Week-15-Online-Lab-Orbital-Motion-Keplers-Laws-Gizmodoc/
Explore Learning Gizmo: Orbital Motion – Kepler’s Laws
For this assignment, you'll use a Gizmo at the Explore Learning web site.
Before you begin:
Be sure you have read the assigned reading for the week.
You may want to print this document so that you can note observations as you work
with the gizmo. Later, you can type your answers into the Word document and upload it
with this assignment form.
All questions to answer are contained in this document. You don’t need to answer
any questions at the Explore Learning site.
This lab has a Prior Knowledge piece, a Warm-Up piece, and Activity A, B, & C.
You must answer in a different colored font (-1 point)
FINDING THE GIZMO
Follow these steps to find the Gizmo:
Go to the Explore Learning website: http://www.explorelearning.com/.
If you have not yet enrolled in the class -- In the upper right hand corner, click on Enroll
in a Class.
The class code you need is 6FZRUV6SEM (note - these are all capital letters).
Click on Continue.
If you have used the Explore Learning site before you should be able to log in using your
MNOHS username and password (for example, mnohs10ajones / piano227). If you
have never used Explore Learning before, you’ll need to register using your MNOHS
username and password with the class code. In other words, the class code is only
needed once!
Once inside the Physics course, look for the Gizmo called Orbital Motion – Kepler’s
Laws and click on Launch Gizmo.
This study source was downloaded by 100000835361505 from CourseHero.com on 01-28-2022 06:47:25 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/53051194/Week-15-Online-Lab-Orbital-Motion-Keplers-Laws-Gizmodoc/
, Vocabulary: astronomical unit, eccentricity, ellipse, force, gravity, Kepler’s first law, Kepler’s
second law, Kepler’s third law, orbit, orbital radius, period, vector, velocity
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. The orbit of Halley’s Comet, shown at right, has an oval
shape. In which part of its orbit do you think Halley’s
Comet travels fastest? Slowest? Mark these points on
the diagram at right.
2. How might a collision between Neptune and Halley’s
Comet affect Neptune’s orbit?
It will run off of its course
Fastest Slowest
Gizmo Warm-up
The path of each planet around the Sun is determined by
two factors: its current velocity (speed and direction) and
the force of gravity on the planet. You can manipulate both
of these factors as you investigate planetary orbits in the
Orbital Motion – Kepler’s Laws Gizmo™.
On the CONTROLS pane of the Gizmo, turn on Show trails
and check that Show vectors is on. Click Play ( ).
1. What is the shape of the planet’s orbit? A circle
2. Watch the orbit over time. Does the orbit ever change, or is it stable? The orbit is stable
3. Click Reset ( ). Drag the tip of the purple arrow to shorten it and reduce the planet’s initial
velocity. Click Play. How does this affect the shape of the orbit?
It is smaller and its more in the shape of an oval.
This study source was downloaded by 100000835361505 from CourseHero.com on 01-28-2022 06:47:25 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/53051194/Week-15-Online-Lab-Orbital-Motion-Keplers-Laws-Gizmodoc/
