Abstract:Kepler’s laws are an essential part of any mechanics course at the introductory level. They are commonly used to illustrate the power of Newton’s laws at explaining and predicting the motion of planets and comets around the sun. While the derivation of the second and third laws are outlined in every standard textbook, that of the first law (and the shape of orbits in general) is invariably omitted, due mainly to the insufficient proficiency of the targeted students in differential equations. The paper offers a… Show more
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