Lesson Plan: Orbital Mechanics Physics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to use the formula 𝑇 = 2π𝑟/𝑣 to calculate the orbital characteristics of a planet, moon, or man-made satellite in a circular orbit.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- use to find the circumference of an orbit from its radius and vice versa,
- use to find the orbital speed of an object from the radius of its orbit and its orbital period and vice versa.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the qualitative understanding of circular orbits.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- any calculations for elliptical orbits,
- any of Kepler’s laws,
- Newton’s law of gravitation ,
- any centripetal force or acceleration calculations ( and ).
