Changing Speed of Comets

Changing Speed of Comets

It is shown that highly elliptical orbits, such as those of comets, can be explained well in terms of energy rather than forces. The principle of conservation of energy allows a comet's velocity to be calculated at aphelion and perihelion. An example asks students to calculate whether they can...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics education Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 429 - 432
Main Author: Follows, Mike
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Physics Publishing 01-09-2003
Subjects:
Astronomy
Computation
Energy
Energy Conservation
Physics
Science Instruction
Teaching Methods
Online Access:Get more information
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Description
Summary:It is shown that highly elliptical orbits, such as those of comets, can be explained well in terms of energy rather than forces. The principle of conservation of energy allows a comet's velocity to be calculated at aphelion and perihelion. An example asks students to calculate whether they can run fast enough to escape from a small asteroid. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)
ISSN:0031-9120
DOI:10.1088/0031-9120/38/5/308