Kepler’s second law states that the straight line joining the pl...
According to the second law the orbital radius and angular velocity of the planet in the elliptical orbit will vary. The planet travels faster when closer to the Sun, then slower when farther from the Sun. Hence we can say that the transverse acceleration is zero while radial and longitudinal accelerations are not zero.
View all questions of this test
Kepler’s second law states that the straight line joining the pl...
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer. He is best known for his laws of planetary motion, which laid the foundation for modern celestial mechanics.
Kepler's laws describe the motion of planets around the sun. His first law, known as the law of ellipses, states that the planets orbit the sun in elliptical paths, with the sun at one of the foci of the ellipse. This contradicted the prevailing belief at the time that the planets moved in perfect circles.
Kepler's second law, the law of equal areas, states that a line connecting a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals. This means that a planet moves faster when it is closer to the sun and slower when it is farther away.
His third law, the harmonic law, relates the orbital period of a planet to its distance from the sun. It states that the square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of its average distance from the sun. This law allows astronomers to calculate the orbital periods and distances of planets in our solar system.
Kepler's laws were based on extensive observations made by Tycho Brahe, a Danish astronomer who mentored Kepler. Kepler's mathematical skills allowed him to analyze this data and develop his laws, which provided a more accurate description of planetary motion than previous models.
In addition to his work on planetary motion, Kepler also made significant contributions to optics, including the discovery of the inverse square law of light intensity. He also developed novel methods for calculating the volumes of solids and made advancements in the field of optics.
Kepler's work had a profound impact on astronomy and laid the groundwork for Isaac Newton's later development of the laws of motion and gravitation. He is considered one of the key figures in the scientific revolution of the 17th century.
Kepler’s second law states that the straight line joining the pl...
Total acceleration is 0