AST201H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Escape Velocity

• School: UTSG
• Department: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Course: AST201H1
• Professor: Michael Reid

Document Summary

Note: when u feel weightless, you may attribute it either to being in free-fall or to traveling at constant velocity far from any gravitational fields. Bc traveling at constant velocity means traveling in a straight line. Space station is always free-falling toward earth, but its forward velocity always moves it head just enough to miss hitting the ground. Earth is constantly free-falling toward the sun, but our planets orbit speed keeps us going around and around. Thus all orbits must therefore represent paths of objects that are following the straightest possible path through space time. If you throw a ball with a speed just a little larger than the circular speed, what shape will its orbit be? elliptical. If i throw a ball with a speed just a little smaller than the escape speed, what shape will its orbit be? elliptical.