Satellite Motion

The Satellite Motion Toolkit provides teachers with standards-based resources for designing lesson plans and units that pertain to the topic of orbiting satellites. Concepts that are emphasized include Kepler's three laws of planetary motion, the principle of a satellite motion as a special form of projectile motion, orbital dynamics mathematics, the concept of weightlessness, and a contrast of circular orbits to elliptical orbits. The Toolkit is supported by Lesson 4 of the Circular Motion and Satellite Motion chapter at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.


Each toolkit can be viewed in three different ways.

1. Satellite Motion - HTML Version of Complete Toolkit

   The HTML version of the complete toolkit contains all the resources with full descriptions and links to their location on the web. The complete toolkit also includes learning objectives and references the pertinent standards addressed by the resources.
    

2. Satellite Motion - PDF Version of Complete Toolkit

   The PDF version of the complete toolkit contains all the resources with full descriptions in a printer-friendly format. Learning objectives and relevant standards are also included in the PDF Version of the complete toolkit.
    

3. Satellite Motion - Toolkit To Go

   The Toolkit To Go is a 2-page PDF document that provides an abbreviated version of the complete toolkit. It contains as much information as could fit on two pages. Toolkits to Go can be photo-copied back-to-back, hole-punched, and filed in a teacher's folder or three-ring binder for future reference.