Analyzers - Moons of Jupiter
OBJECTIVES :
1. Determine the mass of Jupiter.
2. Gain a deeper understanding of Kepler's third law.
3. Learn how to gather and analyze astronomical data.
BACKGROUND :
Kepler's third law for a moon orbiting a much larger body is
C = r^3/T^2, where C is a constant, r is the length of the semi-major axis of the elliptical orbit in units of the mean Earth-Sun distance, 1 A.U. (astro-nomical unit), and T is the planetary orbit in Earth years.
If the orbit is circular (as will be assumed in this lab) the semi-major axis is the same as the radius of the orbit.
Newton expanded on Kepler’s Third Law, by using his Universal Law of Gravitation to solve for the constant C and derived:
R^3/T^2 = GM/4p^2
PROCEDURE :
http://geddesphysics.weebly.com/analyzers-moons-of-jupiter.html
DATA :
| data.docx |
DATA ANALYSIS :
| data_anaylsis.docx |
CONCLUSION :
| conclusion.docx |
