SPH 4UI Mechanics Lab: Astro-Dynamics Purpose: By the end of this activity students will have used a simulator to produce various orbital scenarios with stars, planets and moons, etc. They will use the simulator to make measurements to verify the dynamics concepts that were taught in class. Materials/Resource: Phet website Once at the PhET site, select "Simulations" at the top Select "physics" Uncheck all the boxes on the left except for "Motion" Click the "X" on the "HTML 5" and "HTML 5 Prototype" Select the "My Solar System" simulation Click the Play arrow on the simulator Choose the "Lab" option (you may start with the "Intro" part to play around with the simulator first if you like) Procedures: In the menu on the top right corner of the window, you can explore the different settings to see the types of simulators available. We will be working with the "Sun and Planet" simulator. In the legend on the top right hand corner of the sim, turn on all the checkboxes. Use the measurements/values given in the sim for orbital radius and orbital speed (press the play button at the bottom to get the sim going) to verify the mass of the centrally orbited object. Show your calculations in your assignment (take pics of your work and insert into your assignment). After you have confirmed the mass of the centrally orbited object, pause the sim. In the window at the bottom of the page, select the "More Data" box to show position and velocity information. Change the mass of the sun to 275 and the orbital radius to 1.7 A.U. Calculate the orbital velocity (show all your work) and then input the velocity into the table and press the play button to watch your system move. Be sure to take a screenshot of your Sun-planet system with all the data visible to include inProcedures: In the menu on the top right corner of the window, you can explore the different settings to see the types of simulators available. We will be working with the "Sun and Planet" simulator. In the legend on the top right hand corner of the sim, turn on all the checkboxes. Use the measurements/values given in the sim for orbital radius and orbital speed (press the play button at the bottom to get the sim going) to verify the mass of the centrally orbited object. Show your calculations in your assignment (take pics of your work and insert into your assignment) After you have confirmed the mass of the centrally orbited object, pause the sim. In the window at the bottom of the page, select the "More Data" box to show position and velocity information. Change the mass of the sun to 275 and the orbital radius to 1.7 A.U. Calculate the orbital velocity (show all your work) and then input the velocity into the table and press the play button to watch your system move. Be sure to take a screenshot of your Sun-planet system with all the data visible to include in your assignment. Next, keep your Sun's mass the same as before (and the planet's mass as well) and change the velocity to different values until you notice a very different result. This should help you answer question 1 below. Choose another simulator to explore and try adjusting some of the values (mass, position, velocity, etc.). When you have an interesting result, include a screenshot of your simulation and include an explanation (in paragraph form) of your system with all notable settings and the result on the orbital dynamics. Questions: 1. How can you tell if the simulator agrees with your calculation for the orbital velocity? 2. What happens to the orbit if the velocity isn't exactly the calculated value? Explain from your observations. Conclusion: Include a conclusion statement that summarizes the activity and your learning about astrodynamics