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Chapter 10 Physics with Calculus: Projectile Motion and Orbital Mechanics

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Terms in this set (24)

  • What is true about two projectiles launched at the same speed with launch angles adding up to 90°?
    They must have the same range assuming air drag is ignored.
  • What is true about a volleyball tossed over a net starting and ending at the same height?
    The ball’s speed is the same as when tossed, but its velocity is different.
  • What is true about the acceleration of a bullet fired horizontally and an identical bullet dropped from the same height?
    Both bullets have the same acceleration while in flight.
  • When is a black hole created in terms of escape speed?
    A black hole forms when the escape speed is greater than the speed of light.
  • If the vertical velocity component of a projectile is greater than the horizontal component, what can be said about the launch angle?
    The launch angle will be greater than 45 degrees.
  • According to Kepler’s first law, where is the Sun located in a planet’s elliptical orbit?
    The Sun is at one focus of the ellipse; the other focus is empty.
  • If the Moon is shifted to a lower circular orbit, how does its orbital period change?
    The Moon’s orbital period becomes less than 27.3 days.
  • Is it possible for an outer planet to orbit its star faster than an inner planet according to Kepler’s laws?
    No, this would violate Kepler’s third law of planetary motion.
  • What is the vertical component of acceleration for an object in projectile motion?
    The vertical acceleration is downward due to gravity.
  • What is the horizontal component of acceleration for an object in projectile motion?
    The horizontal acceleration is zero (constant horizontal velocity).
  • What shape does the path of a projectile follow?
    The path is a parabolic trajectory.
  • What relationship does Kepler’s third law describe?
    It relates a planet’s orbital period to the size of its orbit.
  • What is the velocity of a basketball at the top of its projectile trajectory?
    The velocity equals the horizontal component of the initial velocity.
  • How does a planet’s speed vary during its orbit around a star?
    The planet moves faster when nearer the star and slower when farther away.
  • When Earth orbits the Sun, when does it move fastest?
    Earth moves fastest when it is nearer the Sun.
  • Who discovered that planets orbit in elliptical paths rather than circles?
    Kepler discovered the elliptical nature of planetary orbits.
  • How is the shape of a planet’s orbit best described?
    The orbit is an ellipse.
  • How does kinetic energy behave during satellite motion?
    Kinetic energy varies with potential energy to keep total energy constant.
  • If gravity between the Sun and Earth suddenly vanished, what path would Earth follow?
    Earth would continue in a straight-line path due to inertia.
  • How does the horizontal velocity of a projectile change during flight?
    The horizontal velocity stays constant throughout the flight.
  • Why is the path of a projectile a parabola?
    Because it has constant horizontal speed and changing vertical speed.
  • What does Kepler’s second law state about the area swept by a planet’s orbit line?
    Planets sweep out equal areas in equal times, moving faster near the Sun and slower when farther.
  • What is an ellipse in terms of distances from two fixed points?
    An ellipse is a curve where the sum of distances from two foci is constant.
  • What did Newton’s cannonball theory demonstrate about orbital motion?
    If fired fast enough, a projectile would circle Earth indefinitely.