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Angular Momentum Activity

Wire sketch of a comet's trajectory as it passes the Sun.
Example of a calculus problem featured in the activities below
AAPT
Levels
  • Advanced (9-12+)
Material Type
  • Activity/Hands-on
Heliophysics Big Ideas
  • Big Idea 1.1 – The Sun is really big…
NGSS
  • ESS1 - Earth's Place in the Universe
Heliophysics Topics
  • Newton's Law of Gravity
  • Solar System
Material Cost per Learner Free
Language English

This guided inquiry helps students to describe angular momentum, tangential velocity, and acceleration for orbiting objects. This activity helps students to understand angular momentum and its conservation as it applies to orbiting celestial objects, based on Johannes Kepler's 2nd Law of Orbital Mechanics.

It is appropriate for university calculus-based introductory physics or for an upper-division mechanics course.