Planetary Motion

Roll a steel ball along the periphery of the exhibit and observe its motion. The ball moves faster when it comes closer to the Centre. Had there been no air or rolling friction, the ball would have continued in orbit forever. The steel ball represents a satellite orbiting round the earth. The satellite moves faster when it comes closer to the earth. The gravity well is a mechanical likeness of earth’s gravitational fields. When a satellite is in a low orbit closer to the earth, it experience air friction and eventually falls on the earth. Roll two or three balls of varying sized successively to put them in a different orbit and observe their motion.