Revolution of Planets: Rotation & Revolving Around Stars

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SUMMARY

Planets continuously rotate on their axes and revolve around stars due to the conservation of angular momentum, not energy consumption. The energy associated with a planet's spin remains constant, while its orbital kinetic energy fluctuates inversely with gravitational potential energy. There is no heat expelled during this motion, as planets do not consume energy; they maintain their motion without friction or energy loss. Gravity does not require energy consumption for these processes to occur.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of angular momentum
  • Basic principles of gravitational physics
  • Knowledge of kinetic and potential energy
  • Familiarity with thermodynamics related to energy transfer
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the conservation of angular momentum in celestial mechanics
  • Explore gravitational potential energy and its relationship with kinetic energy
  • Study the effects of friction in planetary motion
  • Investigate thermodynamic principles related to energy transfer in space
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding planetary motion and the fundamental principles of gravitational dynamics.

saket agrawal
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How do planets continuously rotate on their axis or revolve around stars ? Do the energy they consume for this continued motion gets expelled as heat ?
 
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saket agrawal said:
How do planets continuously rotate on their axis or revolve around stars ?
Explain to yourself how they can not.
 
saket agrawal said:
How do planets continuously rotate on their axis or revolve around stars ? Do the energy they consume for this continued motion gets expelled as heat ?
No energy is consumed for this. A planet in orbit has constant energy: its spin energy is constant, and its orbital kinetic energy changes by the opposite amount that its gravitational potential energy changes.

Also, if they were consuming energy (which they are not) then they would have to absorb heat (which they do not). Expelling heat would be exactly backwards.
 
Last edited:
There's no friction, so nothing slows down planets. Gravity do not "consume" any energy
 

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