State and derive Kepler's third law

Kepler's third law states that the square of the period of any planet is proportional to the cube of its orbital radius.To derive it, two equations are required: F=GMm/r^2 and F = mv^2/r. These are Newtons law of gravity and the centripetal force for an object moving in circular motion respectively.By equating the two you can see that GMm/r^2 = mv^2/r. the m's and r's (mass and radius) then cancel to give: GM/r = v^2.v^2 can be shown to be equal to (2pir/T)^2, which I would show in the video and this can be substituted in to finally show that: T^2 = 4pi^2r^3/GM. I can then expand on this question by asking the student to find the period of a planet with mass M and radius r.

Answered by Samuel B. Physics tutor

1775 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

A 80kg man is hanging from two 1.5m ropes that lie at 60 degrees from the horizontal. What is the tension in each rope required to prevent the man from dropping?


Describe and explain the motion of a skydiver from leaving the aircraft to reaching terminal velocity


Explain what is meant by the term "plastic deformation".


A boy (25kg) and a girl (20kg) are playing on a see-saw which is 4m long. If the boy sits 1m from the centre on the left side and the girl 2m from the centre on the other, which direction will the see-saw will rotate around its centre?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2024

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy