Graphs and Ellipses

Imagine the challenge of getting the space shuttle to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Groups must determine the elliptical transfer orbit needed to get the space shuttle from its orbit to the orbit of the International...

Using an online planetary simulator, astrophysics students explore each of Kepler's laws. The 13-page printable handout walks them through the activity, which also includes using string, pushpins, and a pencil to model three different...

Students research water management strategies in Texas. They analyze projected demand for water in the year 2050, interpret graphs and tables and then discuss the data as part of a written report. They research and map the locations of...

Introduce your physics or astronomy class to Kepler's laws of planetary motion with this straightforward learning exercise. It covers the basic concepts of each and has learners answer questions to demonstrate their grasp on them. You...

For this ellipse worksheet, students learn the difference between an orbit and an ellipse. They draw ellipses and calculate the distance between foci, they calculate the length of the major axis and they determine the eccentricity. They...

Tides go in and tides go out, but how do they relate to gravity and the moon? The video explores the relationship of gravity over distance, tidal force parameters, the battle of the bulges, and tidal lock. It connects not only the ocean...

A flipped classroom lesson introduces astrophysics fanatics to Kepler's three laws of planetary motion. After reading about the laws of ellipses, equal areas, and harmonies, and also learning how Newton's gravitation concepts come into...

Students become acquainted with linear graphs, the parabola and the rectangular hyperbola. Also prepare tables of paired values as preparation for plotting a line. They study the cartesian equation of an ellipse, with a worked example.

The class examines graphs in the form r = F(¿¿) in polar coordinates (r, ¿¿), in particular with the circle, ellipse and other conic sections. They determine the nature of an ellipse by studying the role of the semimajor axis and...

Students explain that planets actually orbit the center of gravity of the solar system, and that distant planets may be detected by motions of their central star around the centers of gravity of their planetary systems.