Planetary Motion: Kepler's Laws

What is Kepler's first law of planetary motion?

• Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one of the two foci.

• Planets move in circular orbits around the Sun

• Planets move in random patterns around the Sun

• Planets move in straight lines away from the Sun

According to Kepler's second law, what happens to a planet's speed as it moves closer to the Sun?

• The planet's speed remains constant

• The planet's speed becomes unpredictable

• The planet's speed increases

• The planet's speed decreases

Kepler's third law states a relationship between a planet's orbital period and what other factor?

• Distance from the Sun

• Semi-major axis of its orbit

• Mass of the planet

• Eccentricity of its orbit

What shape do planets' orbits around the Sun follow according to Kepler's laws?

• Elliptical

• Hyperbolic

• Parabolic

• Circular

How did Kepler's laws revolutionize our understanding of planetary motion?

• Kepler's laws only applied to Earth's motion

• Kepler's laws were disproven by Galileo's discoveries

• Kepler's laws revolutionized our understanding of planetary motion by describing the precise paths planets follow around the Sun and the relationship between a planet's distance from the Sun and its orbital speed.

• Kepler's laws were based on astrology rather than scientific observation