Manager: Adnan Ismail Recorder: Skeptic(s):

Investigating the Parameters of Circular Orbits

Objectives
 Determine the relationship between orbital speed and orbital
radius for circular orbits.
 Determine the relationship between orbital speed and mass of
system objects for circular orbits.
 Describe the characteristics of orbits than don’t follow this
relationship.
 Calculate how changing various parameters in the Earth-Sun
system (me, ms, res, or ve ) affects the orbit of the Earth

Directions
1. Go to https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/gravity-and-
orbits. Click the Play arrow. Choose “To Scale”.
2. Select Sun and Earth (top choice). Make sure Velocity, Grid, and Measuring Tape are selected (like the diagram to
the right). Earth should be two boxes from the Sun.
3. Click the big blue Play arrow . Click the Fast Motion and Slow Motion arrows to see what affect they have. Use
these two buttons as needed. Click the big blue stop button. Click the grey reset button in the upper right. (This
is the only reset button you will ever use.)
4. Determine the speed of the Earth in m/s when it is in this initial orbit of two boxes from the Sun. Describe your
plan and show your work below.
𝑟
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 = 2𝜋
𝑇

1011
2𝜋 × = 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 = 29,244.03 𝑚/𝑠
107 × 3.162

One Box
5. Click Reset . Move the Earth so it is one box from the Sun. (Note: one box side equals about 46,000,000 miles.)
Do not change the length of the velocity vector. Predict what will happen to the Earth and Sun when you hit Play.

I predict that the Earth will move in an elliptical pattern and get faster as the Earth approaches closer to the Sun.

6. Click Play . What do you observe about the motions of the Earth and Sun? Why does the Earth move in this
way?

The Earth moved in an elliptical pattern and got faster as it went closer to the Sun. This is because the attractive force
becomes greater, meaning that the speed also increases. The Sun is also slightly attracted to other smaller bodies,
meaning that they have very small orbits as well.
7. Click Reset . Stretch or shrink the velocity vector so, when you click Play , the orbit is circular. First use trial
and error. How can you quickly tell if the orbit is circular?

We can tell if the orbit is circular because the orbital radius is the same all throughout the entire orbit.

8. Use the general formulas for gravitational force and centripetal force to derive the relationship between speed (v)
and orbital radius (r) for circular orbits. Show the relationship you derived to your instructor before going on.

𝑀 × 𝑣2 𝑀𝑝 𝑀𝑠
=𝐺
𝑟 𝑑2
𝐺𝑀𝑠
𝑣2 =
𝑑
𝐺𝑀𝑠
𝑣= √
𝑑

Instructor or LA approval:
9. Use this formula to determine the speed in m/s that will result in a circular orbit when Earth is one box from the
Sun.

(6.67 × 10−11 × 1.988 × 1030

𝑣= √ = 1,697,822 𝑚/𝑠
4.6 × 107

Three Boxes

10. Click Reset . Move the Earth so it is three boxes from the Sun. Do not change the length of the velocity vector.
Predict what will happen to the Earth and Sun when you hit Play.

If the Earth is too far away, the Earth may be out of the gravitational plane of the Sun and go out of orbit.

11. Click Play . What do you observe about the motions of the Earth and Sun? Compare what you observed with the
one box motion you observed above.

The planet does fly out of the orbit of the Sun and the Sun doesn’t move either, which is contrary to the prior instance
12. Click Reset . Stretch or shrink the velocity vector so, when you click Play , the orbit is circular. First use trial
and error. Use the formula you derived in item 8 to determine the speed in m/s that will result in a circular orbit
when the Earth is three boxes from the Sun.

(6.67 × 10−11 × 1.988 × 1030

𝑣= √ = 986,238.0061 𝑚/𝑠
3(4.6 × 107 )

More massive Sun

13. Click Reset . Change the mass of the Sun to 2.0 Solar masses. Predict what will happen to the Earth and Sun
when you hit Play.

The Earth will be significantly more attracted to the Sun because it has a greater mass now, so it will move faster.

14. Click Play . What do you observe about the motions of the Earth and Sun? Why does the Earth move in this
way?

The Earth still maintains an elliptical orbit, but the greater mass of the Sun brings the Earth closer to it and makes it
faster.

15. Click Reset . Stretch or shrink the velocity vector so, when you click Play , the orbit is circular. Use the
formula you derived in item 8 to determine the speed that will result in a circular orbit when the Sun is 2.0 Solar
masses.

(6.67 × 10−11 ) × 2(1.988 × 1030 )

𝑣= √ = 1,697,822 𝑚/𝑠
2(4.6 × 107 )

Less massive Sun

16. Click Reset . Change the mass of the Sun to 0.5 Solar masses. Predict what will happen to the Earth and Sun
when you hit Play.
The force from the Sun is smaller now that the mass is smaller, so it won’t be able to maintain a stable orbit of the
Earth’s. If anything it will be farther away.

17. Click Play . What do you observe about the motions of the Earth and Sun? Compare what you observed with
the more massive Sun motion you observed above.

While the Sun doesn’t move, the Earth also moves out of the gravitational field of the Sun because the Sun isn’t strong
enough to hold onto the Earth
18. Click Reset . Stretch or shrink the velocity vector so, when you click Play , the orbit is circular. Use the
formula you derived in item 8 to determine the speed that will result in a circular orbit when the Sun is 0.5 Solar
masses.

(6.67 × 10−11 ). 5(1.988 × 1030 )

𝑣= √ = 848,911 𝑚/𝑠
2(4.6 × 107 )

More massive Earth

19. Click Reset . Change the mass of the Earth to 2.0 Earth masses. Predict what will happen to the Earth and Sun
when you hit Play.
Nothing will happen to the Earth’s orbit because our equation doesn’t revolve around the mass of the Earth. The
Sun might move slightly however closer towards the earth because it has a stronger attractive force.

20. Click Play . What do you observe about the motions of the Earth and Sun? Why does the Earth move in this
way?

There is no discernable impact of the more massive Earth because the equations are not reliant upon it.

21. Click Reset . Stretch or shrink the velocity vector so, when you click Play , the orbit is circular. Use the
formula you derived in item 8 to determine the speed that will result in a circular orbit when the Earth is 2.0 Earth
masses.

It remained at the same speed at 29,244 m/2

Less massive Earth

22. Click Reset . Change the mass of the Earth to 0.5 Earth masses. Predict what will happen to the Earth and Sun
when you hit Play.
Nothing will happen to the Earth’s orbit because our equation doesn’t revolve around the mass of the Earth. The
Sun might move slightly however further away from the earth because it has a weaker attractive force.

23. Click Play . What do you observe about the motions of the Earth and Sun? Compare what you observed with
the more massive Earth motion you observed above.

There were no discernable differences between the motion between the earlier motion and this motion.
24. Click Reset . Stretch or shrink the velocity vector so, when you click Play , the orbit is circular. Use the
formula you derived in item 8 to determine the speed that will result in a circular orbit when the Earth is 0.5 Earth
masses.

It remained at the same speed at 29,244 m/2

Application
25. Which of the tested parameters affect the speed of the orbiting object?

The Mass of the star and the distance between the star and the satellite affected the speed of the orbiting object.

26. Describe the main condition(s) for circular orbits.

-Velocity
-A constant orbit radius
-The mass of a star (Gravitational attraction)
-the distance between the satellite and the star.

27. Suppose someone showed you the orbital speed and orbital radius of something orbiting the Sun. How could you
determine if the object had a circular (or very close to circular) orbit?

When the orbit speed and the radius of the satellite are constant, we would be able to figure out if the object has a
circular orbit if it fits with the equations.