Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Definition
Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion are three scientific laws describing the motion of planets around the Sun. They state that orbits are ellipses with the Sun at one focus; planets sweep out equal areas in equal times; and there is a relationship between a planet's orbital period and its distance from the Sun.
Related terms
Gravity: This is the force by which every mass or particle of matter (including photons) attracts every other mass or particle.
Elliptical Orbit: An elliptical orbit refers to any orbit in shape of an ellipse. According to Kepler's first law, all planetary orbits are elliptical.
Orbital Period: This refers to the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit around another object.
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AP European History - 4.2 The Scientific Revolution
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