Gravitation and the Solar System

Part 1: Open gravity force lab from phet (University of Colorado):

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/gravity-force-lab-basics
Keep it at the current set up:
1. What is true about the force of m2 on m1, and the force of m1 on m2?

2. Show the calculation for the force of gravity for the current set up. Make sure you start
with a literal equation.

3. If you double the m2 and m1, while keeping the distance of the masses the same, how
would the attractive force between the two masses change? Make your prediction using
Newton’s law of gravitation. Check your answer with the simulation afterward.

Hit the button.

4. Now double the distance between m2 and m1, while keeping the masses the same. How
would the attractive force between the two masses change? Make your prediction using
Newton’s law of gravitation. Check your answer with the simulation afterward.

Hit the button.

5. Last one. Now double m2 and m1 and also double the distance between the two masses.
How would the attractive force between the two masses change? Make your prediction
using Newton’s law of gravitation. Check your answer with the simulation afterward.

Part 2: Open My Solar System

Please follow the instructions for downloading the Flash player and my-solar-system.swf
I made a 3-minute video showing how to run the program.

Elliptical Orbits
1. In the top blue window keep it at “Preset”. Select “Show Grid” and click “Start”.
Describe the motion of the pink planet. Describe the motion of the yellow star.

2. Notice that the Sun is wobbling? What is causing this? Go to this site and read about
the Barycenter (center of mass of a system).
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/barycenter/en/#:~:text=The%20sun%2C%20Earth%2C%20a
nd%20all,system's%20barycenter%20constantly%20changes%20position.&text=As%20t
he%20sun%20orbits%20this%20moving%20barycenter%2C%20it%20wobbles%20arou
nd.

3. Use the Tape Measure tool to measure the Major Axis and Minor Axis. Calculate the
eccentricity of the orbit. You can stop and stop the simulation anytime.

You must show your work here.

4. Stop and reset. Now see what happens to the orbital path if you increase the initial
velocity of the pink planet by just 10%. Describe the motion of the pink planet.

Angular Momentum and Energy

Go to “Select Preset” and set it to “Sun and Planet”. “Show Grid” and “Show Traces”.
Decrease the velocity to 80 from 120 to produce a more eccentric orbit that we can see on the
screen. Stop at exactly half way around. (You can slow down the planet’s motion by toggling the
green arrow to “accurate”.

(If you put your cursor over the planet, you will see the instantaneous velocity and position vectors displayed at the
lower right corner. Record the speeds at the perihelion and aphelion positions. Use your data to calculate the
kinetic energy and angular momentum of the planet at perihelion and aphelion positions.)

5. Is kinetic energy conserved for the planet as it moves from the aphelion to the perihelion
position?
You must show your work here.

6. Take a picture of the orbit. Using whatever drawing program that is available to you,
detail where positive work is done on the planet. Make sure you include the components
of the force vectors and the displacement vector to help you explain. Do the same thing
with negative work.

Insert your completed drawing here.

7. Is total mechanical energy conserved for the planet as it moves from the aphelion to the
perihelion position? Should it be? Explain.

8. Are you able to calculate the potential energy of the planet at the aphelion or perihelion
position? What would you need to calculate gravitational potential energy?

9. Is angular momentum conserved for the planet as it moves from the aphelion to the
perihelion position? Prove using the simulation.

You must show your work here.

Kepler’s 3rd Law and determining G for this simluation!

10. In the top blue window named Select Preset, choose Ellipses. Change the mass of body 1
to 200 units. Select Show Grid and click Start. For each of the 3 elliptical paths determine
the period of revolution = T (maybe seconds?) and the length of the Major axis = A
(who knows what length measurement!)

Put your results in the table on Google doc.

 T A Semi major axis

Body2
Body3
Body4

11. Next, use your graphing calculator or Desmos to make a graph of R3 (y-axis) versus T2
R = semi-major axis for the elliptical orbits. Draw a line of best fit through the points
and find the slope. Note: the units are (some length measurement)3/ (some time
measurement)2

your graph here.

Slope = ____________________________________

Use the slope result to calculate the value of “G”.

You must show your work here.

(Of course, this “G” is different than the real G = 6.67 x 10-11. But you will need your
calculated value for the following examples.)

Using your calculated “G”

12. Binary Stars. Set up a 2-body system; each 200 mass units at a distance of 200 units
apart. Give the yellow star -70 velocity for the y axis. Give the pink star +70 velocity
for the y axis. Do not hit start yet.

Use your calculated “G” to calculate a theoretical value for T.

Show your calculations.

After you have your predicted value, click “start” and measure T.

Calculate the % difference between your calculated theoretical value for T and the actual
measured period from the simulation.

13. Attraction from rest. Set body 1 to 200 and body 2 to 100 units. Start them 400 distance
units apart with initial speed zero. Click stop when they are about 100 units apart.

Use your calculated value for G to calculate the final velocities for both bodies. [Hint:
Use Conservation of energy and Conservation of momentum to solve.]

Show your calculations.

Move the mouse over each body to get their final velocities.
 Calculate the % difference between your calculated theoretical velocity for each body
and the actual velocity for each body from the simulation.

14. Maximum Altitude. Set the mass of body 1 to 200 and body 2 to 0.01 units. Start body 1
at x = 80 units (pretend this is the radius of the planet), y = 0, and velocity = 0,0.
Set body 2 at position 0,0 with initial velocity vx = -200, vy = 0 units.

Use your calculated value for G to calculate a theoretical value for h.

Show your calculations.

Use the measuring tape tool to measure the maximum altitude, h, as shown by the trace.

Calculate the % difference between your calculated “h” and the actual “h” from the
simulation.