How would I derive Kepler's third law from Newton's law of gravitation and the equations of circular motion?

Kepler's third law states that the square of the period of the orbit is directly proportional to the cube of the radius of the orbit (T^2=kr^3) where r is some constant to be determined. This can be determined using:

Newton's law of gravitation: F=GMm/r^2 Centripetal Force: F=mw^2r, where w is the angular velocity in rad/s.

By equating these 2 equations and cancelling out any terms possible we arrive at GM=r^3w^2. The angular velocity can be described as the angle a body has travelled through in a period of time. Assuming a full circular orbit this would be equal to 2pi radians in a period of T. Therefore w=2pi/T. This can be substituted in to obtain T^2=(4*pi^2/GM)*r^3. Therefore the constant of proportionality equals 4pi^2/GM.

MW
Answered by Matthew W. Physics tutor

9160 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

A gold leaf electroscope with a zinc plate top is charged by briefly connecting it to the negative electrode of a high-voltage supply. Explain how the gold leaf will appear and how the leaf can be caused to drop again.


A golf ball is hit at angle θ to the horizontal, with initial velocity u. Stating an assumption, show that the horizontal distance travelled by the ball is directly proportional to u^2.


Two balls of mass 3kg and 7 kg respectively move towards one another with speeds 5ms^-1 and 2ms^-1 respectively on a smooth table. If they collide and join, what velocity do they move off with?


How do I approach this question? Our teacher never explained it in class!


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning