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General Physics 1
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 10B – Physics 1 Subject Teacher:

PERFORMANCE TASK 2

DATA SHEET

Part A: Kepler’s First Law

1. Draw the Elliptical Orbit formed (Label your drawing)

2. Measure the major axis and record the length here (in centimeters):
_______________

3. Measure c in cm and record it here: _______________

4. Find the eccentricity of the ellipse formed (show your complete solution)

5. Consider an orbit with an eccentricity of 0.

a. What would be the value of c? (show your solution)

b. What would the orbit look like? (draw in the space below).

Part B: Kepler’s Third Law:

1. If the Earth’s orbit had a semimajor axis of 2AU, how long would it take to go around the Sun? (Use
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General Physics 1
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Grade Level/Section:
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

MODULE 10B – Physics 1 Subject Teacher:

the 3rd Law of Kepler to prove it).

2. Choose one planet (other than Earth) and look up its orbital period. Using Kepler’s Third Law,
calculate what the semimajor axis should be.

3. Halley’s Comet travels around the Sun in a highly elliptical orbit (e = 0.967). It most recently passed
through our neck of the woods in 1986, but it was not very bright, so you might have missed it.
Fortunately, it will be back, although not until the year 2062.
a. What is the semimajor axis of Comet Halley’s orbit, in AU?

b. How close to the Sun is Halley’s Comet at perihelion (in AU)?

c. How far away from the Sun is it at aphelion (in AU)?

INCLUDE DOCUMENTATION OF YOUR WORK HERE