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Course, Subject

Earth Science, Physics, Math, Science & Technology

Description

This simulation will allow students to build their own solar system of a sun, planets and moons, and watch their paths as they move about one another. With this orbit simulator, you can set initial positions, velocities, and masses of 2, 3, or 4 bodies, and then see them orbit each other.

Using the simulation, students will:

• Predict the necessary mass, velocity, and distance from the sun of a planet in order for this planet to make a circular orbit around a sun.
• Discover what happens when the mass of a planet is increased or decreased, and further determine if it coincides with the predictions made in class.
• Find out what happens to the orbit of the planet when the magnitude of the velocity of the planet is increased or decreased.
• Observe what happens to the planet's orbit when the initial distance between the planet and the sun is increased or decreased.

Website(s)

PhET Interactive Simulations

Simulation

Click on the link below to view the simulation:

• My Solar System

Requirements

Click here to view the download requirements for this website.

Content Provider

Physics Education Technology
The Physics Education Technology (PhET) project at the University of Colorado produces fun, interactive simulations of physical phenomena that make bridges to the real world.

Related Academic Standards

New York State

S.HS.ESS.1.4 Students who demonstrate understanding can use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.

S.HS.ESS.1.7 Construct an explanation using evidence to support the claim that the phases of the moon, eclipses, tides and seasons change cyclically.

MST4.C.ES.PS1.1 Students explain complex phenomena, such as tides, variations in day length, solar insolation, apparent motion of the planets, and annual traverse of the constellations.