LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

Planetary and Satellite Motion

Learning Competency:

Calculate quantities related to planetary or satellite motion. (STEM_GP12Red-IIb- 20)

ACTIVITY 1: PROBLEM SOLVING

Directions: Solve for the following problems. Write your answers with complete solutions on a separate sheet
of paper.

1. One of Saturn's moons is named Mimas. The mean orbital distance of Mimas is 1.87 x 10 8 m. The
mean orbital period of Mimas is approximately 23 hours (8.28x10 4 s). Use this information to estimate the mass
for the planet Saturn. What is the acceleration of Mimas?

2. Consider a satellite which is in a low orbit about the Earth at an altitude of 220 km above Earth's
surface. Determine the orbital speed of this satellite. Use the information given below.
G = 6.673 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2 Mearth = 5.98 x 1024 kg
rearth = 6.37 x 106 m

3. Use the information below and the relationship above to calculate the T 2/r3 ratio for the planets about
the Sun, the moon about the Earth, and the moons of Saturn about the planet Saturn. The value of G is 6.673
x10-11 N•m2/kg2.
Sun M = 2.0 x 1030 kg
Earth M = 6.0 x 1024 kg
Saturn M = 5.7 x 1026 kg

a. T2/r3 for planets about sun

b. T2/r3 for the moon about Earth
c. T2/r3 for moons about Saturn

ACTIVITY 2. WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

Directions: Search and underline the word/s being described in the following statements below. The answers
maybe found horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

1. Any object that is orbiting the earth, sun or other massive body.

2. A satellite that orbits the earth in 24 hours along an orbital path that is parallel to an imaginary plane
drawn through the Earth's equator.

3. A force exerted by any object moving in a circle (or along a circular path).
4. It is a force that attracts any two objects with mass.

5. It is a form of motion experienced by an object or particle that is projected near the Earth's surface
and moves along a curved path under the action of gravity only.