Orbital Definition and 790 Threads

Hey, so I'm new to Physics Forums as a registered member, but I've been checking this site out for what seems likes years. Homework Statement Locate the center of the mass of the Earth-moon system with respect to the center of the Earth, and then find the orbital velocity of the Earth...

I remember reading an article on exoplanets which suggested that when a star loses its mass, the orbital radii of the planets orbiting it increase. Apparently this makes it easier to identify such planets as they are now further away from their star. What I would like to know is, what...

I've been reading the book "why chemical reactions happen", and according to my understanding, it seems as though orbital hybridization is just an "approximation" and not real, as in there is no such orbital, while MO are (real). Is my understanding correct? Or are MOs also just approximations...

Hi. I was playing a video game where, in one level, you are in an orbit around an attractor. The game was 2D, so there's no inclination, etc. The game showed the projected path of the body around the attractor. When you used the games controls to thrust in a direction, it would show the...

My question is as follows. When (qualitatively at least) constructing molecular orbitals for a given molecule, a few "rules" are used to construct them. I'm wondering why the "rules" exist at all. For example, it is given that orbitals must have "similar energies" (however one quantifies...

Homework Statement What effect will the tangential component of force have on the velocity of the planet? What effect will the normal component of force have on the velocity of the planet? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution 1. Since it is parallel to the direction of velocity, maybe...

There seem to be several methods for calculating the orbital element. Newcomb, Laplace, Lagrange, Gauss, Olbers, ... I'm sure over time a new method came to light. However, what basically was the difference between a new method and the one it replaced? Improvements in calculations (computer)...

I'm confused by something very simple and stupid. When the mass of a satellite is tiny compared to the body being orbited, we can approximate orbital velocity as sqrt{(GM)/r} Now its obvious that as r gets larger, the orbital velocity drops. Higher orbits are slower orbits. A...

Homework Statement Experimental evidence suggests that the nitrogen atom in ammonia, NH3 , has four orbitals in the shape of a pyramid or tetrahedron. Draw an energy-level diagram to show the formation of these orbitals. (Hint: No electron promotion is required.) Homework Equations...

Orbital Elements--Identification of method I'm looking at a book that has a method for calculating the six orbital elements. I'm attaching the relevant pages. My knowledge about orbits is limited to knowing the meaning of the six elements. What I'd like to know is where did these equations...

I'm not asking for you to do my homework but can you help me on it?! I have no idea how to even attempt it. Any help would be greatly appreciated! The International Space Station (ISS) just celebrated its 10th anniversary of human habitation. During that time it has been orbiting the Earth...

I wrote a game with a rocket that orbits a planet, and you can change the orbit with thrusters. As part of it I draw the predicted orbit for the rocket. To do this I compute the eccentricity vector, then the eccentricity e, then the major and minor axis of the ellipse or hyperbola as...

Homework Statement given a certain state |ψ> that is an eigenstate of L^2 and Lz Calculate <Lx^2> and <Lx> Homework Equations L^2|ψ> = l(l+1)h^2 Lz|ψ> = mh|ψ> Lx = YPz - ZPy The Attempt at a Solution <Lx^2> = (1/2)(h^2)[l(l+1)-(m1)^2] for Lx i got <Lx> = ∫ψ(YPz-ZPy)ψ dx

Hey folks wondering if anyone knows some good books on the following subjects... Orbital transfers, specifically to Lagrange points with information on stable/unstable manifolds. Control theory of satellites, new to control theory so perhaps I should be looking at a general control theory...

Hi everyone I'm currently studying the MO theory and ran into some trouble understanding orbital energy levels. As I have previously read, σ bonds are stronger than ∏ bonds, therefore are lower in orbital energy. However, from the MO theory, the σ2p orbital is actually higher in energy than...

Homework Statement Assuming that the satellite's orbit is circular, show that its orbital period P at large distances (r>>a) is given by the expression: P=[(4pi/GM)^(1/2)] r^(3/2) (1-(3/4)((a^2)/(4r^2)) J(subscript2)) Comment on the behavious of P in the limits as r approaches infinity...

A Martian civilization is attempting to develp the capabilities for space travel. They have built a prototype satellite with a mass of 578kg that they plan to put in orbit Mars a distance of 602km above the surface of mars. A) Using the data provided, calculate the orbital velocity of the...

Homework Statement A satellite is placed between the Earth and the Moon, along a straight line that connects their centers of mass. The satellite has an orbital period around the Earth that is the same as that of the Moon, 27.3 days. How far away from the Earth should this satellite be placed...

Hello, I am doing a very brief presentation for school on gravitational radiation and wanted to include a figure for the orbital periods of binary pulsars. I can find the rotation rates of individual pulsars on Google but can't find a figure for orbital periods of binaries. This does not...

Homework Statement In a classical model of the hydrogen atom, the electron moves around the proton in a circular orbit of radius 0.053 nm. What is the electron's orbital frequency? What is the effective current of the electron? Homework Equations Freq * Wavelength = Speed of...

Homework Statement Find the other sp hybrid orbital given \Psi_{sp1} = 3\Psi_{2s} + 4\Psi_{2pz} using the orthonormal relationships. I do not know how to start the problem. if someone could help get me pointed in the right direction or help me through it I would greatly appreciate it : )

Can anyone describe an experiment that would be used to measure orbital angular momentum?

The moon orbits the Earth on nearly the same plane as the Earth orbits the sun. Does this coincidence of orbital planes scale up? Do the planets in our solar system orbit on a plane that is parallel to the plane of the milky way? What about planets in other solar systems in the milky way?

Satellite of mass m is moving with velocity v in a circular orbit of radius r about mass M. Find the orbital angular momentum. Know v = \sqrt{\frac{GM}{r}} Orbital angular momentum of a system is defined as the angular momentum of the center of mass of the system. Let the origin be at mass...

Homework Statement Consider a year to be precisely 365 days. Determine the angular speed of the Earth about the sun. If the Earth's mean distance from the sun is 1.496x1011 meters and our orbit is circular, determine our orbital speed about the sun. Homework Equations ω=Δθ/T, where ω is...

why carbon can form polymers and sillicon not? though both are tetra valent. explain this based on its orbital and bonding energies

Question: How many orbitals have the values n = 6 and l = 5? Attempt: I said zero initially, since a l value of 0=s, 1=p, 2=d, 3=f, so there shouldn't be a 5? I know this is wrong now but why? What is 5= ?

I have a confusing question mainly due to my lack of understanding of Quantum Mechanics and spin! here it goes anyway... In an atomic orbital, like the 1s orbital, two electron waves with opposite spins occupy the same area of space. Now, does this mean that their waves should interfere with...

Newtonian physics correctly predicts that a planetary orbit will be an ellipse and general relativity correctly predicts that this ellipse will rotate, as was demonstrated with mercury. The only thing that I can think of is that because the orbit is an ellipse then the planet will be...

Homework Statement If the Apollo vehicle is initially in a circular low Earth orbit with altitude h0 = 320 km and it is suddenly accelerated to a new (tangential) velocity of 10.8 km/s, determine the radial position, r, at apogee, the eccentricity of the new orbit and the period of this orbit...

Homework Statement [EDIT: My first statement of the problem was wrong.] 1. The space shuttle releases a satellite into a circular orbit 720 km above the Earth. How fast must the shuttle be moving (relative to Earth) when the release occurs?Homework Equations F=GmM/r^2 Fc = mv^2/rThe Attempt...

1. Homework Statement I'm trying to perform a molecular orbital analysis of a tungsten hydride complex, (WH6) and I haven't been able to find an intuitive or basic definition for a "d0 complex". Every time I read an article about a d0 complex they tangentially mention them and then jump into...

Suppose I have a wavefunction ψ(r1, r2)= (∅1s(r1) ∅1p(r2) - ∅1s(r2) ∅1p(r1)) And I know that ∅1s(r1) and ∅1p(r1) are normalized. How would I go about finding the normalization constant for ψ(r1, r2)? Everywhere I look just whips out a \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} out of nowhere...

Hello everyone, and thanks for reading. I'm having a difficult time understanding something. On yet another attempt to deepen my quantum mechanics understanding I referred to the widely recommended book of Griffiths. I find the book indeed very good and pretty thorough in it's scope. There...

Homework Statement Assuming planar orbits, calculate the Hohmann ∆V required to transfer from a low-Earth circular orbit with radius of 1.03 Earth radii to the orbit of the Moon (assume 60 Earth radii). Compare this to the 3-maneuver strategy of (1) escaping to infinity on a parabolic orbit...

Please see the graph http://makanaka.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/nasa-uars1-recent_orbital_history.png My question: what exactly gives rise to the sinusoidal waviness of apogee and perigee in altitudes below 570km?

Homework Statement Two newly discovered planets follow circular orbits around a star in a distant part of the galaxy. The orbital speeds of the planets are determined to be 41.7 km/s and 55.5 km/s. The slower planet's orbital period is 8.04 years. (a) What is the mass of the star? (b)...

Do single non bonding electrons (i.e. on a free radical) always occupy non hybrid orbitals? For example the methyl radical has trigonal planar molecular geometry so the lone electron must occupy a p orbital. Why doesn't it occupy an sp3 orbital instead?

One way of lifting a satellite into geosynchronorous orbit is to use the space shuttle to lift it into a circular, low-earth orbit(h=300km) and then use a booster rocket to place the satellite on a hohmann transfer orbit up to a circular geosynchronous orbit. what is the orbital velocity of the...

I am having a hard time understanding the nodes on the graphs of Ψ for atomic orbitals. Take for example, the graph of Ψ for a 2s orbital as seen on the left here: http://winter.group.shef.ac.uk/orbitron/AOs/2s/wave-fn.html The graph intersects at two points, but these two intercepts represent...

How would I go about calculating the orbital speed of a planet without using the distance of its path. In other words, only using the motion around the plane of ecliptic? My first thought was using the angle of the path somehow, but I'm a bit stumped here. Thanks for any input!

Homework Statement An Earth satellite is observed to have a height of perigee of 100 n mi and a height of apogee of 600 n mi. Find the period of the orbit. Homework Equations (1) Period = (2*pi/sqrt(mu)) * A^(2/3) (2) rp+ra = 2A Where: Mu is the Standard Gravitational Parameter...

Currently Jupiters moon's Io, Europa, and Ganymede are in a Laplace resonance. If Mars's moon's Phobos and Deimos were in such a Laplace resonance (1:1, 2:1, 4:1, 8:1) would it affect Mars? If yes, please explain how you feel it would...

Hi everyone, I've been banging my head against this problem for a few days now so I'm ready to find some help with it. In short, I have a set of orbital state vectors(a position vector and velocity vector) describing an object's starting position, as well as the mass of the focus, and I...

The orbits of planets have some ellipticity. Is there any corresponding ellipticity in the orbital of electrons? Are we able to see some ellipticity at least for a many electron atom, if not for the Hydrogen like atoms? I expect to see some ellipticity. We solve the Hydrogen atom problem...

Ok, I know that the S, P, D, and F represent blocks (groups of elements) on the periodic table. I know that the numbers represent rows on the periodic table. But what about the arrows? What's with the business of "increasing energy"? Why are the arrows slanted...

I wrote a program in java to simulate gravity in 3 dimensional space between any number of objects, and i wanted to test if it works. i managed to find the data for the Earth and the sun and tried those out and the sun acted as a slingshot for the earth. i would like to know if i could find...

If the gravitational constant suddenly changed, would the Earth change its orbital radius r' such that the new G'M'/r'^2 equals todays GM/r^2. If not how?

1. The launch vehicle takes the moon orbiter to a circular orbit around the Earth at 300km altitude. The orbiter is to perform a Hohmann transfer to a Lunar orbit, entering into a circular lunar orbit at 50km altitude. The objective of the mission is to put a 200kg orbiter around the Moon. The...

Some Questions on Lagrange Points – According to Wicki, a Lagrange point is The Lagrangian points are the five positions in an orbital configuration where a small object affected only by gravity can theoretically be stationary relative to two larger objects (such as a satellite with respect...