Kepler's 1st law states that all planetary orbits are circular.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The statement being evaluated is: 'Kepler's 1st law states that all planetary orbits are circular.'

First, recall what Kepler's 1st Law actually says: planets orbit the Sun in ellipses, with the Sun located at one of the two foci of the ellipse. This means orbits are not generally circular; they are ellipses with varying shapes depending on eccentricity.

A circular orbit is a special case of an ellipse where the eccentricity is zero. However, Kepler's law describes the general case of elliptical orbits, not exclusively circular ones. Therefore, asserting that all planetary orbits are circular misstates the law.

If one were to consider the alternative that some orbits might be circular, that would only be true for a highly idealized or specific scenario, not as a universal description of planetary motion according to Kepler.

In terms of the provided answer, the correct choice is that the statement is false because the law specifies ellipses, not circles, as the natural orbital shape for planets.

Note: This analysis does not rely on any options since none were provided, but it clarifies the factual content of Kepler's 1st Law and why the statement is incorrect.

EARTHSC 2205 SP2025 (19389) Copernican Quiz

Kepler's 1st law states that all planetary orbits are circular.

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EARTHSC 2205 SP2025 (19389) Copernican Quiz

Kepler's 1st law states that all planetary orbits are circular.

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

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