Solutions to Physics I Gravity and Kepler’s Laws Practice Problems
1.) Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has a mean orbital radius of 1.22x109 m. The orbital period
of Titan is 15.95 days. Hyperion, another moon of Saturn, orbits at a mean radius of 1.48x109 m.
Use Kepler’s third law of planetary motion to predict the orbital period of Hyperion in days.
𝑟𝑇 = 1.22𝑥109 𝑚
𝑇𝑇 = 15.95 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
𝑟𝐻 = 1.48𝑥109 𝑚
𝑇𝐻 =?
𝑇𝑇 2 𝑟𝑇 3
( ) =( )
𝑇𝐻 𝑟𝐻
3
15.95 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2 1.22𝑥109 𝑚
( ) =( )
𝑇𝐻 1.48𝑥109 𝑚
15.95 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2
( ) = 0.8243
𝑇𝐻
254.4 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2
= 0.560
𝑇𝐻 2
254.4 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2
𝑇𝐻 = √
0.560
𝑇𝐻 = 21.3 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
2.) The mass of Earth is 5.97x1024 kg, the mass of the Moon is 7.35x1022 kg, and the mean
distance of the Moon from the center of Earth is 3.84x105 km. Use these data to calculate the
magnitude of the gravitational force exerted by Earth on the Moon.
𝑚𝐸 = 5.97𝑥1024 𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑀 = 7.35𝑥1022 𝑘𝑔
𝑟 = 3.84𝑥105 𝑘𝑚 = 3.84𝑥108 𝑚
𝐺 = 6.673𝑥10−11 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2 ⁄𝑘𝑔2
𝐹𝑀𝐸 =?
𝑚𝐸 𝑚𝑀
𝐹𝑀𝐸 = 𝐺
𝑟2
(5.97𝑥1024 𝑘𝑔)(7.35𝑥1022 𝑘𝑔)
𝐹𝑀𝐸 = (6.673𝑥10−11 𝑁∙𝑚 2⁄
𝑘𝑔 2)
[ ]
(3.84𝑥108 𝑚)2
4.39𝑥1047 𝑘𝑔2
𝐹𝑀𝐸 = (6.673𝑥10−11 𝑁∙𝑚 2⁄
𝑘𝑔 2)
( )
1.47𝑥1017 𝑚2
𝐹𝑀𝐸 = (6.673𝑥10−11 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2 ⁄𝑘𝑔2 )(2.98𝑥1030 𝑘𝑔2 ⁄𝑚2 )
𝐹𝑀𝐸 = 1.99𝑥1020 𝑁
3.) The planet Mercury travels around the Sun with a mean orbital radius of 5.8x1010 m. The
mass of the Sun is 1.99x1030 kg. Use Newton’s version of Kepler’s third law to determine how
long it takes Mercury to orbit the Sun. Give your answer in Earth days.
𝑟𝑀 = 5.810𝑥1010 𝑚
𝑚𝑆 = 1.99𝑥1030 𝑘𝑔
𝑇𝑀 =?
2 4𝜋 2 3
𝑇𝑀 =( )𝑟
𝐺𝑚𝑆
39.5
𝑇𝑀 2 = [ ] (5.810𝑥1010 𝑚)3
(6.673𝑥10−11 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2 ⁄𝑘𝑔2 )(1.99𝑥1030 𝑘𝑔)
39.5
𝑇𝑀 2 = [ ] (1.96𝑥1032 𝑚3 )
1.33𝑥1020𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2 ⁄𝑘𝑔
𝑇𝑀 2 = (2.96𝑥10−19 𝑠 2 ⁄𝑚3 )(1.96𝑥1032 𝑚3 )
𝑇𝑀 2 = 5.82𝑥1013 𝑠 2
𝑇𝑀 = √5.82𝑥1013 𝑠 2
1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 1 𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝑇𝑀 = 7.63𝑥106 𝑠 ( )( ) = 88.3 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
3600 𝑠 24 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
4.) Earth has an orbital period of 365 days and its mean distance from the Sun is 1.495x108 km.
The planet Pluto’s mean distance from the Sun is 5.896x109 km. Using Kepler’s third law,
calculate Pluto’s orbital period in Earth days.
𝑇𝐸 = 365 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
𝑟𝐸 = 1.495𝑥108 𝑘𝑚
𝑟𝑃 = 5.896𝑥109 𝑘𝑚
𝑇𝑃 =?
𝑇𝐸 2 𝑟𝐸 3
( ) =( )
𝑇𝑃 𝑟𝑃
3
365 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2 1.495𝑥108 𝑘𝑚
( ) =( )
𝑇𝑃 5.896𝑥109 𝑘𝑚
365 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2
( ) = (2.54𝑥10−2 )3
𝑇𝑃
1.32𝑥105 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2
( 2 ) = 1.63𝑥10−5
𝑇𝑃
1.32𝑥105 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 2
𝑇𝑃 = √
1.63𝑥10−5
𝑇𝑃 = 9.00𝑥104 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠
5.) The planet Venus orbits the Sun with a mean orbital radius of 1.076x1011 m. The mass of the
Sun is 1.99x1030 kg. Using Newton’s version of Kepler’s third law, calculate the orbital period of
Venus.
𝑟𝑉 = 1.076𝑥1011 𝑚
𝑚𝑆 = 1.99𝑥1030 𝑘𝑔
𝑇𝑉 =?
2 4𝜋 2
𝑇𝑉 =( ) 𝑟𝑉 3
𝐺𝑚𝑆
2 4𝜋 2
𝑇𝑉 = [ ] (1.076𝑥1011 𝑚)3
(6.673𝑥10−11 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2 ⁄𝑘𝑔2 )(1.99𝑥1030 𝑘𝑔)
39.5
𝑇𝑉 2 = [ ] (1.25𝑥1033 𝑚3 )
1.33𝑥1020 𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2 ⁄𝑘𝑔
𝑇𝑉 2 = (2.97𝑥10−19 𝑠 2 ⁄𝑚3 )(1.25𝑥1033 𝑚3 )
𝑇𝑉 2 = 3.17𝑥1014 𝑠 2
𝑇𝑉 = √3.17𝑥1014 𝑠 2
𝑇𝑉 = 1.93𝑥107 𝑠
