Kepler's Third Law

Definition

Kepler's Third Law states that for any two objects orbiting each other, the square of their orbital periods (the time it takes for one complete orbit) is directly proportional to the cube of their average distance from each other.

Analogy

Think about two friends playing catch with a ball while standing far apart. The longer they take to complete one round of throwing and catching, and the farther apart they stand, the stronger their friendship seems.

Related terms

Orbital Period: Orbital period refers to the time it takes for an object to complete one full orbit around another object.

Gravitational Force: Gravitational force is an attractive force between two objects with mass. It plays a crucial role in determining orbits and planetary motion.

Semi-Major Axis: The semi-major axis represents half of the longest diameter across an elliptical orbit. It provides information about how elongated or circular an orbit is.