Question

Planets travel in orbits that are (what shape? square or eliptical). Kepler’s (which number? 1st, 2nd, 3rd) law of motion relates the shape of a planet’s orbit with its speed. State this law of motion.

Answer 1

Planets travel in orbits that are **elliptical** in shape. Kepler’s **2nd** law of motion relates the shape of a planet’s orbit with its speed. This law is often referred to as the Law of Equal Areas and states that:

"A line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time."

This means that a planet moves faster when it is closer to the Sun in its orbit and slower when it is farther from the Sun.