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Non-Circular Orbits (AQA GCSE Physics)
Revision Note
Non-Circular Orbits
Orbit of a Comet
- The orbits of comets are very different to those of planets:
- The orbits are highly elliptical (very stretched circles) or hyperbolic
- This causes the speed of the comets to change significantly as its distance from the Sun changes
- Not all comets orbit in the same plane as the planets and some don’t even orbit in the same direction
Orbital path of a comet
- As the comet approaches the Sun, it loses gravitational potential energy and gains kinetic energy
- This causes the comet to speed up
- This increase in speed causes a slingshot effect, and the body will be flung back out into space again, having passed around the Sun
- As it moves away from the Sun the body will slow down, eventually finishing its orbit and falling back into towards the Sun once more
- In this way, a stable orbit is formed
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