Incomplete Model: Motion of the Moon with Solar Perturbation Preview CT-STEM

Sun/Earth/Moon Model- Not to scale.

Run the simulation and see what happens. You will have to increase the speed of the model. Change the intial(vx) velocity of the Moon and repeat.

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Please answer the questions below.

Question 1.1

What do you notice the or of the Moon doing? What is this effect called?

Question 1.2

State why you believe the orbit of the Moon is doing this?

Question 1.3

Sketch all the force and velocity vectors on the Moon at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. Point out where a new, full and half-moon would be.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below

Question 1.4

Eventually, the Moon will fly away from the Earth, what did it gain in order for this to happen? Thus, why is the model imperfect?

Question 1.5

Why do the graphs show negative energy? Why do these graphs oscillate? Do they make sense?

Question 1.6

Coding Question:

Try to make a plot of the angular momentum of the Moon about the Earth. What should this plot exhibit? You need to look into the code for this.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below

These notes will appear on every page in this lesson so feel free to put anything here you'd like to keep track of.