Understanding Kepler's Laws: Unraveling the Mathematical Derivations

Thread starter kingpeje
Start date Mar 9, 2011
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Derivation Laws

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Kepler's laws describe the motion of planets and are derived from observational data and Newton's laws of motion and gravitation. The first law states that planets move in elliptical orbits with the sun at one focus, while the second law indicates that a line segment joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time. The third law establishes a relationship between the square of a planet's orbital period and the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit. To understand these derivations, starting with basic principles of physics and geometry is essential. Engaging with resources like Wikipedia can provide foundational insights for further exploration.

Mar 9, 2011

kingpeje

I have to write a paper about the derivation of Kepler's laws, but I don't understand how the derivations work. If anyone could help explain to me how they work.

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Mar 9, 2011

Delphi51

Homework Helper

What will you derive the laws from?
There are some possibilities in the Wikipedia article on Kepler's Laws.
You will get help here if you make a start - even a false one.

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