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Elliptical Orbit
If the Space Shuttle were to make a maintenance trip out to a satellite in geo-synchronous orbit, the Shuttle would need to enter into an elliptical orbit around the earth. That trajectory could be described by this equation:
| Subject: Algebra Topics: - Coordinate Systems - Expressions and Equations Grades: 6 - 9 Knowledge and Skills: - Can evaluate expressions by substituting values for variables - Can simplify expressions using correct order of operations - Can plot a point in a two-dimensional coordinate system, given the coordinates, or determine the coordinates of a given point |
Download Teacher Guide: Elliptical Orbit (PDF)
Download Student Activity: Elliptical Orbit (PDF)
Algebra in the Real World Movie:
Communications Satellites
It takes a sophisticated network of hundreds of communication satellites orbiting the earth to connect the dots of the global economy. It’s a field that relies on everything from variables to patterns and measurement to space science.
Running time 2:43 minutes.
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