Non-Circular Orbits (Edexcel GCSE Physics)
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Non-Circular Orbits
- Some orbits, such as those of comets, are non-circular
- These are often more elliptical
- However, their orbits are still stable
- For a stable orbit, the radius must change if the comets orbital speed changes
- For example, for a comet in an elliptical orbit around the Sun:
- As the comet approaches the Sun, the radius of the orbit decreases and the orbital speed increases due to the Sun's strong gravitational pull
- As the comet travels further away from the Sun, the radius of the orbit increases and the orbital speed decreases due to a weaker gravitational pull from the Sun
Comets travel in highly elliptical orbits, speeding up as they approach the Sun
- As a comet approaches the Sun:
- It loses gravitational potential energy and gains kinetic energy
- The icy body of the comet also starts to melt, and forms a tail that always points away from the Sun
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