This activity presents a simple computer model of the motion of the six inner planets that allows you to compare their orbital periods to that of earth. Experimental data from the model is used to test Kepler's third law, which proposes a relationship between the radius of a planet's orbit and its period. You will also learn how to draw an ellipse and can experiment with another model showing the relationship between distance and velocity in an elliptical orbit.
Download Size: 25 MB
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Requirements
The Java Runtime Environment version 5 (sometimes referred to as 1.5) or later with Java Webstart is required to run any of the activities. You can download it at: java.com.
The download for this activity will require 25 MB of disk space.
This activity is a part of the Concord Consortium's 