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Lab #6: Testing Kepler's First Law (continued)
Page 2 of 6
The important features of an ellipse are shown in the diagram below. The shape of an ellipse
is given by the ratio c:a, which is called the eccentricity (e). Note that the eccentricity of a
circle is zero. Tear off the paper millimeter ruler on page five of this lab and use it to find c
and a. Compute e.
DD=
semi-major axis (a)
a
C =
focus
mm
a =
a =
Place the bottom of this page on a cork board and insert a pin at each of the two foci. Place a
loop of string around the two pins and draw the ellipse in the manner shown on page one.
Measure c and a with the millimeter ruler and compute e.
e = c/a=
mm
e = c/a =
mm
mm

Respuesta :

fordgt13247

To find the eccentricity (e) of an ellipse, we need to measure the semi-major axis (a) and the distance from the center to one of the foci (c).

1. Tear off the paper millimeter ruler on page five of the lab.

2. Place the bottom of this page on a cork board and insert a pin at each of the two foci.

3. Take a loop of string and place it around the two pins.

4. Use the string to draw the ellipse, following the method shown on page one of the lab.

5. Measure the distance from the center of the ellipse to one of the foci using the millimeter ruler. This is the value for c.

6. Measure the semi-major axis (a) of the ellipse using the same millimeter ruler.

7. Divide the value of c by the value of a to compute the eccentricity (e).

For example, let's say you measured c to be 10 mm and a to be 20 mm:

e = c/a = 10/20 = 0.5

So, the eccentricity of the ellipse is 0.5.

Remember, the eccentricity of a circle is zero, while the eccentricity of an ellipse is a ratio between the distance from the center to one of the foci (c) and the semi-major axis (a).

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