All Questions
Tagged with orbital-motion newtonian-mechanics
1,018
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What would happen to the moon's orbit if we reduce (instantaneously) its mass? [closed]
In my opinion the moon's orbit shouldn't change, because an orbiting body is a free falling object and the trajectory of a free falling object is not affected by its mass (because the inertial mass ...
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147
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Doubt on conservation of angular momentum for Kepler's laws
Just before proving Kepler's laws, my Professor claimed that if $\vec{F}$ is a central force with center $O$ and it is the only force acting on a point $P$, then the trajectory of $P$ is a curve plane....
- 13
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1
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Trajectories of projectile based on different speeds of projection [duplicate]
So my teacher was teaching gravitation and an interesting fact that he mentioned was the trajectory of a projectile projected from Earth at a speed equal to escape velocity, is parabolic.
Also, he ...
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What changes the velocity perpendicular to radius in an elliptical orbit?
I'm working currently on a problem that asks to justify that angular momentum and kinetic energy conserves for a planet in an elliptical orbit. Although I've been taught that angular momentum should ...
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4
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160
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Gravitational attraction between two bodies
While the gravitational force between two bodies is directly proportional to their masses, and inversely proportional to the distance between them is understandable / seems logical, how did Newton ...
- 123
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37
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When are two object guaranteed to keep getting further and further away?
In a two-body problem, it is known (if I understand correctly) that if the specific orbital energy of the system is $\varepsilon \geq0$, then the objects must eventually escape each other. My question ...
- 125
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Would an Hypothetical Ringworld Positioned Inside the Moon's Orbit Around Earth, gravitationally affect Earth?
If a ringworld were to encircle Earth within the orbit of the Moon, would it induce any gravitational alterations on Earth?
I grasp that inside a circular structure, there might not emerge a ...
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Initial positions and velocities for the three-body problem
I have made a simulation of the three-body problem, it follows the euler's method of solving differential equations. I have tried some initial positions and velocities of the bodies and have observed ...
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Despite tides the Moon, as far as I know, doesn't slow down. Where does the energy come from? [duplicate]
Hy, I don't have anything to do with physics, so please forgive me if I explain my question in a weird way ;)
As the Moon rotates around the earth it is creating tides and waves on the earth. IE it's ...
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48
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Speed of satellite in elliptical orbit [closed]
A satellite $S$ orbits a planet of mass $M$ in an elliptical orbit. At perihelion, $S$ has a tangential velocity of $v_1$ and is distance $r_1$ from the planet. At aphelion, $S$ has a velocity of $v_2$...
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How do two things attracted to each other move in mechanics?
Okay very simply:
If you have two objects in 1D and they're both attracted to each other by some force (say there's a spring pulling them both towards each other, or Coulomb's Law or something)...
How ...
2
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3
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Constant speed (at terminal velocity) and zero $g$
I have read the question What would a person experience in a free-falling elevator in a shaft long enough to reach terminal velocity? here and the answer was that you feel exactly the same if the ...
- 129
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Average Speed in one half of an elliptical orbit
I was wondering whether the average speed along one half of an elliptical orbit (say in a star planet system) had a closed form exact solution using Kepler's laws.
My approach was using the ...
3
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1
answer
193
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Speed at which the Moon moves past a point on Earth's surface?
I'm trying to calculate how fast a point on the surface of the Moon is moving past a point on the surface of the Earth (I assume a point on the equator of each for simplicity).
I know the Earth is ...
- 31
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What is the locus of the velocity vectors of a spaceship moving in some distance from a black hole?
Someone with a background in mathematics and limited knowledge of physics asks the following question:
Starting from rest, a spaceship is momentarily pushed with a specific amount of kinetic energy in ...
- 159