12

GENERAL PHYSICS
Guided Learning Activity Kit
Law of Gravitation, Orbits and
Kepler’s Law of Motion
Quarter 2- Week 2

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Physics– Grade 12
Guided Learning Activity Kit
Law of Gravitation, Orbits and Kepler’s Law of Motion
Quarter 2- Week 1

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 Law of Gravitation, Orbits and
Kepler’s Law of Motion

Introduction

Sir Isaac Newton had contributions to the classical physics. He

observed motions of planets and moons and other heavenly bodies are due
to gravity. Gravity has universal attractive force that exists between objects
and have mass. Isaac Newton came up with the study that the Law states
that the quantitative relationship between the masses of two objects and the
gravity between them, and it is the law of universal gravitations.

Other Planets in our solar system including the Earth travel in nearly
circular orbits around the sun. The centripetal force should keep them in
orbit. The Great achievements of Isaac Newton was the realization that the
centripetal force that holds the planet in orbit is the same force that pulls
an apple toward the ground.

Are you ready to find out the importance of the law of universal
gravitations?

Learning Competency

Use Newton’s law of gravitation to infer gravitational force,

weight, and acceleration due to gravity (STEM_GP12G-IIb16,
STEM_GP12RedIIb- 18, STEM_GP12RedIIb- 19).

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 Objectives

Discuss the physical significance of gravitational field.

Apply the concept of gravitational potential energy in physics

problems.

Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion.

Review

Newton's law of universal gravitation is usually stated as that

every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that
is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. The
publication of the theory has become known as the "first great unification",
as it marked the unification of the previously described phenomena of
gravity on Earth with known astronomical behaviors.
This is a general physical law derived from empirical observations by
what Isaac Newton called inductive reasoning.[4] It is a part of classical
mechanics and was formulated in Newton's work Philosophiæ Naturalis
Principia Mathematica ("the Principia"), first published on 5 July 1687. When
Newton presented Book 1 of the unpublished text in April 1686 to the Royal
Society, Robert Hooke made a claim that Newton had obtained the inverse
square law from him.
In astronomy, Kepler's laws of planet motion are three scientific
laws describing the motion of planets around the Sun, published
by Johannes Kepler between 1609 and 1619. These modified
the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus, replacing its
circular orbits and epicycles with elliptical trajectories, and explaining how
planetary velocities vary. The laws state that the orbit of a planet is
an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci. A line segment joining a
planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.
The square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of the
length of the semi-major axis of its orbit. The elliptical orbits of planets were
indicated by calculations of the orbit of Mars. From this, Kepler inferred
that other bodies in the Solar System, including those farther away from the
Sun, also have elliptical orbits. The second law helps to establish that when

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a planet is closer to the Sun, it travels faster. The third law expresses that
the farther a planet is from the Sun, the slower its orbital speed, and vice
versa.
Isaac Newton showed in 1687 that relationships like Kepler's would apply in
the Solar System to a good approximation, as a consequence of his
own laws of motion and law of universal gravitation.

Discussion

The English physicist Sir Isaac Newton developed his theory of the
gravitational force in his famous work Philosophic Naturalis Principia
Mathematica.

Sometimes it is useful to define a gravitational potential, which is a

property of space, rather than a property of the bodies present the way force
and potential energy are. Let’s take a look on the law of gravitation that
gives explains below.

In a symbol, let m1 and m2 be two masses a distance r apart. The law

of the universal gravitation gives us the following relation:

∞ m1 m 2
Fgra v
r2

Where Fgrav is the gravitational force between the objects.

We now introduce a constant G, called the Universal Gravitational

Constant, and replace the proportionality symbol with an equal sign to give
us the following equation:

G=6.67 x −10 N ⋅ m2 /kg

Sir Henry Cavendish(1731-1810), determined that the universal

gravitational is constant, a contemporary of Sir Isaac Newton. Since the
value of G is very small, the force of gravity between small masses is to weak
to have any noticeable effect. For massive objects, such as satellites and
heavenly bodies, gravity explains many interactions and helps in finding
masses of distant objects.

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The direction of the gravitational force on each mass is near the line joining
their centers, with the arrow pointing towards the other. Look at the picture
A below, Picture A shows the interaction of gravitation between two friends,
Rose and Manilyn. We show their masses as m b and m c individually. Even If
the two girls may not know it, they have a natural gravitational pull on each
other.

Picture A. (a) Manilyn ¿ ¿) applies gravitational force on Besty m b .This pull is

directed toward Rose. (b) at the same time, Besty applies a gravitational force
on Manilyn. This pull is directed toward Besty.

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Example A.

Following are four pairs of masses, with the masses in each pair 1.0 m
apart. Calculate the gravitational force between the masses in each pair,
then compare the magnitude of the forces..

Solution

A.

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 G m ,m
Fgram= 2

r2

= ( 6.67 x , 0−11 N ⋅ m/k g 2) ( 12.0 kg )( 4.0 kg )

(1.0m)²

= 3.2 ×10−9 N

B.

G m ,m
Fgram= 2

r2

= ( 6.67 x , 0−11 N ⋅ m/k g 2) ( 8.0 kg ) ( 6.0 kg )

(1.0m)²

= 3.2 ×10−9 N

Gm , m
C. ram= 2

r2

= ( 6.67 x , 0−11 N ⋅ m/ k g 2) ( 24.0 kg )( 2.0 kg )

(1.0m)²

= 3.2 ×10−9 N

Gm , m
D. ram= 2

r2

= ( 6.67 x , 0−11 N ⋅ m/k g 2) ( 16.0 kg )( 3.0 kg )

(1.0m)²

= 3.2 ×10−9 N

Let’s remember that the forces are equal. While the distance between
masses are the same in all parts, the forces are determined by the product
of the masses and not by the individual masses.

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Example B.

Given the radius of the Earth R E = 6.38 x 106 m, calculate its mass m E .

Solution

To solve for m E . We will need a hypothetical object of mass m. We can

calculate the weight of the object using these equations:

Gm m
W =mg andW =
E

R2E

Equating the above formulas, we get

Gm n
mg= E

R 2E

G mE
g=
R2E

g R 2E
mE =
G

In the equation number two, the square of the distance r between the
object and the center of the Earth (or r 2) is the denominator. The value
of the r is the sum of the height of the object’s center h and the radius
of the earth, or r=h + R E. If, the object is on the ground and not very big,
h is too small compared to the Earth’s Radius, so h+ R E H=R E.

Let’s now substitute the variables with their values: g = 9.8 m/s², R =
6.38 x 106 m; and G=6.67 x −10 N ⋅ m2 /kg ², we get the mass of the Earth.

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 g R 2E
mE =
G

= (9.8 m/s²) ( 6.38 x 106 m)²

6.67 x−10 N ⋅m 2 /kg ²
= 5.98 x 1024 kg

The mass of the Earth is 5.98 x 1024 kg

Kepler: Laws of Planetary Motion

Johannes Kepler came from a poor Protestant family in Germany. He
became aware of Copernicus’ work at the University of Tübingen, where he
completed a master’s degree. He then began studying theology, but before
finishing his degree he was offered a job teaching mathematics at a
(Lutheran) school in Austria. Kepler was impressed with the Pythagorean
idea that numbers underlie the mysteries of the cosmos. He was especially
interested in why there are only 5 planets, and why they orbit at the
distances they do from the Sun.
While teaching astrology, Kepler was struck with a great ide that there are 5
regular solids: the cube, the tetrahedron, the octahedron, the
dodecahedron, and the icosahedron. If the orbit of each planet were
circumscribed by one of these regular solids, and each of these was nested
inside the next, he achieved a solar system with distances close to the
distances calculated by Copernicus accurate to about 5%. This then
accounted for the number of planets as well as their distances from the
Sun. “I wanted to become a theologian, and for long I was uneasy, but now,
see how through my efforts God is being celebrated in astronomy.

He published Mysterium Cosmographicum in 1597 and Kepler is doing

something that marks the beginning of a more empirical approach to
cosmology. He test his model against measurements and the book was read
and added support to the Copernican movement. In 1598 Kepler was forced
to leave Graz when he refused to convert to Catholicism. In 1600 he finally
got a job with the great observational astronomer Tycho Brahe in Prague at
the court of Rudolf II. His job was to use Tycho’s data on Mars to fit with
Tycho’s cosmological model.

Tycho had made the most accurate observations

obtained at that time on the planets. Tycho’s model of
the heavens had the planets orbiting round the Sun
and the Sun orbiting a round the Earth at the center
of the Universe.

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Kepler’s Laws Of Planetary Motion
Tycho died after two years and Kepler inherited his data and his title to the
Imperial Mathematician to the Emperor Rudolf II. Kepler dutifully attempted
to reconcile the Mars data using models of Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Tycho.
But none were successful at representing Tycho’s accurate data for Mars.
After six years of work he gave up attempting to use circles for the planetary
orbits and Kepler realized Mars moves in an ellipse around the Sun. In his
Astronomia Nova (1609) he presented his first two laws of planetary motion.

Kepler’s First Law of

Motion
First Law: Planets move in
elliptical orbits with the Sun
at one focus of the ellipse.

Kepler’s Second Law

Second Law: A line from the
Sun to the planet sweeps out
equal are sim equal times, i.e
planets don’t move at
constant speed.

Kepler’s Third Law of Motion

Kepler was a committed Pythagorean, and he searched for 10 more years to
find a mathematical law to describe the motion of planets around the Sun.

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In Harmony of the World (1619) he enunciated his Third Law that (Period of
orbit) ² proportional to (semi-major axis of orbit) ᶟ. In symbolic form: P2 ∝ aᶟ .
If two quantities are proportional, we can insert a proportionality constant,
k, which depends on the units adopted for P and a and get an equation of P²
= kaᶟ.

Using Kepler’s 3rd Law

Kepler’s third law: P2 ∝ aᶟ .

Therefore P2 ∝ aᶟ , where is some constant number. We can find k if P is

expressed in (Earth’s orbit) years and a is expressed in terms of the distance
between Sun & Earth. This distance is called 1 Astronomical Unit, or 1 A.U.

Then substituting above values P2 ∝ aᶟ . into we find (1)² = k(1)ᶟ.

Solving for k, we find k = 1. And when this unit for P and a are used we find
P² = aᶟ in years and in A.U

Example C.

What asteroid is found and its orbital semi-major axis around the Sun is
measured to be 4 A.U. What is the period of its orbit round the Sun?

P² = aᶟ with P in years and a in A.U.

Since a = 4A.U.
P² = aᶟ = (4)ᶟ = 64
So P = 8 years

Celestial dynamics?
What makes the planets move in the way? Kepler has lost Aristotle’s
theory of motion, and there was nothing to replace it. He realized that
planets move more slowly the further they were away from the Sun. Does
this mean it is the Sun that is the source of their motion? Kepler guessed
that the planets are moved in some way by the Sun, and the further away a
planet is, the slower it orbits. He thought it might be some kind of magnetic
force.

Kepler’s intellectual legacy

The three laws of planetary motion are an intellectual high water
mark. The Sun was now firmly at the center of the Solar system and or the
first time, Kepler introduced celestial motion that was not circular. (The
Greek idea that motion in the heavens must be circular had lasted over
2,000 years.) Kepler was aware of the fact that his model was lacking in
dynamics. He had discarded Aristotle’s model, and with it his theory of
motion, but there was now no theory to say what made the planets move in
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these ellipses. Kepler suggested there was some magnetic force emanating
from the Sun and this became a major intellectual problem in the 17th
Century.

Activities

Guided Practice 1
Directions: Write the correct word/s from the choices in the box below to
complete the sentence in each given item. Use a separate sheet of paper for
your answers.

1. ____________________he determined that the universal gravitational is

constant.
2. ____________________he came from a poor Protestant family in
Germany. He became aware of Copernicus’ work at the University of
Tübingen, where he completed a master’s degree
3. ____________________ Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at
one focus of the ellipse.
4. ______________________ A line from the Sun to the planet sweeps out equal
are sim equal times, i.e planets don’t move at constant speed.
5. ____________________(Period of orbit) ² proportional to (semi-major axis
of orbit) ᶟ
6. ____________________he developed his theory of the gravitational force
in his famous work Philosophic Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
7. ____________________ Kepler published a book in 1597 and he’s doing
something that marks the beginning of a more empirical approach to
cosmology.
8. _____________________had made the most accurate observations
obtained at that time on the planets. His model of the heavens had
the planets orbiting round the Sun and the Sun orbiting a round the
Earth at the center of the Universe.
9. _____________________ it is a study that the Law states that the
quantitative relationship between the masses of two objects and the
gravity between them.
10. _______________________ we call it constant G.

Henry Cavendish Johannes Kepler

First Law Second Law

Third Law Isaac Newton

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Mysterium Cosmographicum Tycho

Universal Gravitational Constant Law of universal Gravitation

Guided Practice 2
1. Determine and compute the force of gravitational attraction in each
pair of masses. Then, arrange the forces in the order of decreasing
magnitude.

2. Determine the force of gravitational attraction between the earth

and each of the following:
a. Betty, mass = 59.0 kg
b. Daniel, mass = 68.5 kg
c. Justin, mass = 28.0 kg
d. Mark, mass = 60.0 kg

3. Arrange the forces in the order of decreasing magnitude.

Independent Practice
Determine the force and Compute the gravitational attraction applied
by a Mr. Fernandez with a mass of 50.0 kg and

1. the Earth, if the Mr. Fernandez is in a parachute 12 000 m above

the Earth’s surface.
2. the Moon ¿; R M =1.74 ×10 6 m¿ if Mr. Fernandez is on its surface.
3. Jupiter (m 1=1.90 ×1027 kg ; RJ =6.91 ×107 m¿ if Mr. Fernandez is on its
surface.

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 Assessment

Determine the force and Compute the gravitational attraction applied

by Mr. Fernandez with a mass of 120.0 kg and

1. the Earth, if the Mr. Fernandez is in an airplane 360 000 m above

the Earth’s surface.

2. the Moon ¿; R M =1.74 ×10 6 m¿ if Mr. Fernandez is on its surface.

3. Mercury (m 1=0.330 ×10 24 kg ; RJ =6.91 ×107 m¿ if Mr. Fernandez is on

its surface.

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 Reflection

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 References

Santisteban, C., 2007. Breaking Through Physics. Quezon, City: C & E

Publisher.

Foundation, CK-12. 2020. "CK12-Foundation". CK-12 Foundation.

https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-physics-flexbook-
2.0/section/5.3/primary/lesson/universal-law-of-gravity-phys.

2020. Ifa.Hawaii.Edu.
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/users/joseph/7.Kepler.pdf.

"Kepler's Laws Of Planetary Motion". 2020. En.Wikipedia.Org.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler%27s_laws_of_planetary_motion.

"Newton's Law Of Universal Gravitation". 2020. En.Wikipedia.Org.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton
%27s_law_of_universal_gravitation.

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 Key to Corrections

Guided Practice 1 Independent Practice

1. Henry Cavendish 1. 2.0035 ×10−8
2. Johannes Kepler
3. First Law 2.2.45 ×10−8
4. Second Law 3.6.34 × 10−9
5. Third Law
6. Isaac Newton Assessment
7. Mysterium Cosmographicum
1 4.79×10−7
8. Tycho
9. Law of Universal Gravitation 2. 5.88×10−7
10. Universal Gravitation Constant 3. 2.649×10−8

Guided Pracrive 2
1. (a) 5.34 ×10−9
(b) 8.004 × 10−9
(c.)5.34 ×10−9
2. A.
(a) Betty 3.94 ×10−10
(b) Daniel 4.57 × 10−10
(c) Justin 1.87 ×10−10
(d) Mark 4.002 ×10−10
B.
4.57 × 10−10 Daniel
4.002 ×10−10 Mark
3.94 ×10−10 Betty

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Acknowledgment
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