Ellipse! Earth Science

What geometric shape describes the orbits of objects in our solar system?

• Triangle

• Ellipse

• Circle

• Square

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

What is eccentricity a measure of?

• The speed of an orbit

• The size of an orbit

• How round or flat an orbit is

• The distance from the Sun

According to Kepler's first law, where is the Sun located in relation to a planet's orbit?

• At the center

• At one of the focal points

• Outside the orbit

• At the farthest point

What is the range of values for eccentricity?

• -1 to 1

• 0 to 0.5

• 1 to 10

• 0 to 1

What does an eccentricity of 0 indicate?

• A highly elliptical orbit

• A perfect circle

• A straight line

• A perfect square

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-4

Which planet has the flattest orbit in our solar system according to the data provided?

• Mars

• Earth

• Mercury

• Venus

According to Kepler's second law, how do planets move in relation to the Sun?

• In a straight line

• At a constant speed

• Slower when closer to the Sun

• Faster when closer to the Sun

What does Kepler's third law imply about the relationship between a planet's orbit and its speed?

• The farther from the Sun, the faster it moves

• Orbit size does not affect speed

• The closer to the Sun, the slower it moves

• The closer to the Sun, the faster it moves

How is the eccentricity of an orbit calculated?

• Distance between foci divided by the length of the minor axis

• Distance between foci divided by the length of the major axis

• Length of the major axis divided by the distance between foci

• Length of the minor axis divided by the distance between foci

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-4

Which of the following has the most eccentric orbit in the solar system?

• Asteroids

• Comets

• Moons

• Planets