Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Kepler's Third Law Formula |
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\( P^2 \;=\; a^3 \) (Kepler's Third Law Simplified) \( P^2 \;=\; \dfrac{ 4 \cdot \pi^4 }{ G \cdot ( M + m ) } \cdot a^3 \) (Kepler's Third Law General Form) |
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Symbol | English | Metric |
\( P \) = Planet's Distance from the Sum | \(mi\) | \( mi \) |
\( a \) = Planet's Orbit Semi-major Axis | \(mi\) | \( mi \) |
\( \pi \) = Pi | \(3.141 592 653 ...\) | \(3.141 592 653 ...\) |
\( G \) = Gravitationa Constant | \(lbf-ft^2 \;/\; lbm^2\) | \(N - m^2 \;/\; kg^2\) |
\( M \) = Central Body Mass | \(lbm\) | \(kg\) |
\( m \) = Orbating Body Mass | \(lbm\) | \(kg\) |
Kepler's laws of planetary motion are a set of three fundamental laws. These laws describe the motion and behavior of planets and other celestial bodies in the solar system. These laws revolutionized our understanding of planetary motion and laid the foundation for Isaac Newton's laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. Kepler's laws have played a crucial role in shaping our knowledge of celestial mechanics and continue to be relevant in modern astronomical research and space exploration
Kepler's Third Law Formula |
||
\( P^2 \;=\; a^3 \) (Kepler's Third Law Simplified) \( P^2 \;=\; \dfrac{ 4 \cdot \pi^4 }{ G \cdot ( M + m ) } \cdot a^3 \) (Kepler's Third Law General Form) |
||
Symbol | English | Metric |
\( P \) = Planet's Distance from the Sum | \(mi\) | \( mi \) |
\( a \) = Planet's Orbit Semi-major Axis | \(mi\) | \( mi \) |
\( \pi \) = Pi | \(3.141 592 653 ...\) | \(3.141 592 653 ...\) |
\( G \) = Gravitationa Constant | \(lbf-ft^2 \;/\; lbm^2\) | \(N - m^2 \;/\; kg^2\) |
\( M \) = Central Body Mass | \(lbm\) | \(kg\) |
\( m \) = Orbating Body Mass | \(lbm\) | \(kg\) |