Week 2 Flashcards
What are the three laws of Kepler?
Kepler’s First Law: The Law of Ellipses
- Planets move in elliptical (oval-shaped) orbits around the Sun. The Sun is at one of the two foci of the ellipse.
Kepler’s Second Law: The Law of Equal Areas
- Planet moves faster when it’s closer to the Sun and slower when it’s farther away.
Kepler’s Third Law: The Law of Harmonies
- The square of a planet’s orbital period (how long it takes to complete one orbit) is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit (the average distance from the Sun).
P^2= const = a^3
What are Jupiter’s 4 biggest moons?
Io, Europa,
Ganymede & Callisto.
What is Newton’s Law of Gravity
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation tells us the strength of the gravitational attraction between two objects.
The mass of the objects: The larger the masses, the stronger the gravitational pull between them.
The distance between the objects: The farther apart the objects are, the weaker the gravitational pull.
Note: Any object that has mass (which is basically anything that takes up space and has weight) pulls on other objects with mass. This “pull” is the force we call gravity.
Can Newton’s Law of Gravity be used to predict the motion of celestial objects?
Yes, Newton’s laws can be used to predict the motion of celestial bodies!
Isaac Newton’s law of gravitation is particularly useful for this. His law of universal gravitation states that every object with mass attracts every other object with mass.
By using the mass of the Sun and other significant celestial bodies, you can calculate the gravitational forces acting on Earth. This information allows you to determine Earth’s acceleration and, subsequently, its position over time.
What is Energy?
Energy is the ability to do work or cause change (causes movement). It comes in many different forms, and it can be transformed from one form to another but never created or destroyed.
Kinetic Energy – This is the energy of motion. Anything that moves has kinetic energy.
Potential Energy: This is stored energy based on an object’s position. For example, a rock at the top of a hill has potential energy because it can roll down, gaining kinetic energy as it falls.
Radiation; is the process by which energy is emitted or transmitted through space. Radiation causes change by transferring energy to the matter it interacts with. The effects depend on the type of radiation, the energy it carries, and the material it encounters.
What is Radiation?
Radiation; is a type of energy where energy is emitted or transmitted through space. Radiation causes change by transferring energy to the matter it interacts with. The effects depend on the type of radiation, the energy it carries, and the material it encounters.
It can cause changes like, Heat and Temperature changes, chemical changes (X-rays).
What are Electromagnetic Waves?
Electromagnetic waves are a type of energy that travels through space, like light, radio waves, and microwaves. They are made up of electric and magnetic fields that move together in a wave-like pattern. They can even move through the empty space of the universe.
Note: humans did not make electromagnetic waves. They exist naturally in the universe, like sunlight, which is an electromagnetic wave. Humans, however, learned how to create and use them in technology, like in radios, TVs, and microwaves.
What is an Electromagnetic (EM) Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic waves, ordered by their wavelengths or frequencies. It includes all the different kinds of light and radiation, some of which we can see and others we can’t.
In general, the shorter the wavelength, the more energy the wave carries, and the more intense or dangerous it can be to living things.
How is the What is an Electromagnetic Spectrum used to explore space?
Celestial objects (like stars, galaxies, or gas clouds) give off their own electromagnetic waves, including visible light, radio waves, and other types of radiation.
These waves travel through space and eventually reach us on Earth. Telescopes and other instruments collect this light.
The light is then passed through a device called a spectroscope, which splits the light into its different colors or wavelengths.
On the spectroscope, we see spectral lines, which show the unique patterns of light absorbed or emitted by different elements in that celestial object.
These spectral lines help us understand what the object is made of and other important details!
What is a Isotope?
An isotope is a version of an element that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons in its atoms.
What is a Neutral Atom?
A neutral atom is an atom where the number of protons (positively charged particles) equals the number of electrons (negatively charged particles).
What is an Ionized Atom?
An ionized atom is an atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in an imbalance between the number of protons and electrons.
What does the number of protons determine?
The element!
How did Galileo’s discovery of Jupiter’s 4 moons important for the understanding of our solar system?
It provided strong evidence against the geocentric model (earth at center) supporting the heliocentric model where planets orbit the Sun.
What is the diameter of the Milk Way Galaxy?
100,000 Light Years
