The allowed shapes for orbits under the force of gravity are
A)ellipses only.
B)ellipses and spirals.
C)ellipses,parabolas,and hyperbolas.
D)ellipses,spirals,and parabolas.
E)spirals,circles,and squares.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The allowed shapes for orbits under the force of gravity, according to Kepler's laws and Newtonian mechanics, are ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas. These shapes represent bound orbits (ellipses), unbound orbits with just enough energy to escape but not at infinity (parabolas), and unbound orbits with more than enough energy to escape (hyperbolas).

The Allowed Shapes for Orbits Under the Force of Gravity