Free fall ellipse or parabola? Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern) 2019 Moderator Election Q&A - Question CollectionCan a very small portion of an ellipse be a parabola?Prove that orbits are conic sectionsDo the planets really orbit the Sun?What kind of effect would cosmic expansion have on planetary motion or keplerian orbit?Stability of solar systemSimple explanation of why object falls in same time it takes to go up?Meaning of the focus of an elliptical orbitHow did people get ellipses of Newton's equations of motion and gravitation?Calculating theta/anomaly for a hyperbolic orbit based on time stepIs spacetime in an ellipse around a massive object, or does it just slope down towards the massive object?

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Free fall ellipse or parabola?



Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)
2019 Moderator Election Q&A - Question CollectionCan a very small portion of an ellipse be a parabola?Prove that orbits are conic sectionsDo the planets really orbit the Sun?What kind of effect would cosmic expansion have on planetary motion or keplerian orbit?Stability of solar systemSimple explanation of why object falls in same time it takes to go up?Meaning of the focus of an elliptical orbitHow did people get ellipses of Newton's equations of motion and gravitation?Calculating theta/anomaly for a hyperbolic orbit based on time stepIs spacetime in an ellipse around a massive object, or does it just slope down towards the massive object?










30












$begingroup$


Herbert Spencer somewhere says that the parabola of a ballistic object is actually a portion of an ellipse that is indistinguishable from a parabola--is that true? It would seem plausible since satellite orbits are ellipses and artillery trajectories are interrupted orbits.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$
















    30












    $begingroup$


    Herbert Spencer somewhere says that the parabola of a ballistic object is actually a portion of an ellipse that is indistinguishable from a parabola--is that true? It would seem plausible since satellite orbits are ellipses and artillery trajectories are interrupted orbits.










    share|cite|improve this question











    $endgroup$














      30












      30








      30


      4



      $begingroup$


      Herbert Spencer somewhere says that the parabola of a ballistic object is actually a portion of an ellipse that is indistinguishable from a parabola--is that true? It would seem plausible since satellite orbits are ellipses and artillery trajectories are interrupted orbits.










      share|cite|improve this question











      $endgroup$




      Herbert Spencer somewhere says that the parabola of a ballistic object is actually a portion of an ellipse that is indistinguishable from a parabola--is that true? It would seem plausible since satellite orbits are ellipses and artillery trajectories are interrupted orbits.







      newtonian-mechanics newtonian-gravity orbital-motion projectile free-fall






      share|cite|improve this question















      share|cite|improve this question













      share|cite|improve this question




      share|cite|improve this question








      edited Apr 1 at 4:49









      Qmechanic

      108k122001246




      108k122001246










      asked Mar 31 at 23:28









      user56930user56930

      16226




      16226




















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          54












          $begingroup$

          The difference between the two cases is the direction of the gravity vector. If gravity is pulling towards a point (as we see in orbital mechanics), ballistic objects follow an elliptical (or sometimes hyperbolic) path. If, however, gravity points in a constant direction (as we often assume in terrestrial physics problems: it pulls "down"), we get a parabolic trajectory.



          On the timescales of these trajectories that we call parabolic, the difference in direction of gravity from start to end of the flight is so tremendously minimal, that we can treat it as a perturbation from the "down" vector and then ignore it entirely. This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect.



          At orbital velocities, the effect is so non-trivial that we don't even try to model it as a "down" vector plus a perturbation. We just model the vector pointing towards the center of the gravitational body.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$








          • 4




            $begingroup$
            For the orbital model, the magnitude of the vector changes (as $1/r^2$) as well as the direction.
            $endgroup$
            – NLambert
            Apr 1 at 1:48






          • 3




            $begingroup$
            "This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect" or it works as long as constant gravity field is a good approximation. I think this wording is better, because it's a direct relation, now for whatever reason it changes (speed, timescale, mass, etc.) the simplified model stops working. It also makes clear that the parabola is not a part of the ellipsis, but the approximation as well. (Notabene: Radial gravity model also stops working at certain conditions.)
            $endgroup$
            – luk32
            Apr 1 at 8:42











          • $begingroup$
            For certain types of artillery and missiles we need to do elliptical calculations instead of parabolic because the distances covered means we can no longer assume that the Earth is flat. When firing beyond the horizon the error can be quite significant
            $endgroup$
            – slebetman
            Apr 2 at 4:52



















          6












          $begingroup$

          One easy way to tell the difference between a highly eccentric elliptical orbit and a true parabolic orbit is that an object in a parabolic orbit travels at its escape velocity exactly. In astronomy, such orbits are as rare as circular orbits, i.e. they don't exist. An object well below the escape velocity can be in an elliptical orbit that has an eccentricity very close to 1, making it look much like a parabolic orbit when only part of the curve is examined.



          A relatively slow projectile on the surface of the Earth is actually a closed curve ellipse, and if the Earth got out of its way by shrinking to the size of basketball with the same gravitational field, the object would return to its original place in a long cigar shaped elliptical path.



          As an aside, if an object is traveling faster than its escape velocity, it is in a hyperbolic orbit.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            To expand a little more: the path of a Newtonian ballistic projectile under the influence of a single other mass is always a conic section. If the eccentricity is exactly 0, its orbit is a circle, if it is less than 1, the orbit is an ellipse, if it is exactly 1, the orbit is a parabola, and if it is greater than 1, the orbit is a hyperbola. However, the very concept of an "exact value" for a physical measurement is not definable (serious issues under Newton, and strictly not definable in QM). So true circular and parabolic orbits do not exist in reality.
            $endgroup$
            – Paul Sinclair
            Apr 1 at 16:31










          • $begingroup$
            Because in the movie Hidden Figures the intriguing issue was going from ellipse math to parabola math. Thank you
            $endgroup$
            – user56930
            Apr 1 at 19:47










          • $begingroup$
            What is said in this answer is, sure. But I don't think this is what the paraphrase in the question alluded to.
            $endgroup$
            – Arthur
            Apr 2 at 12:11












          Your Answer








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          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes








          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          54












          $begingroup$

          The difference between the two cases is the direction of the gravity vector. If gravity is pulling towards a point (as we see in orbital mechanics), ballistic objects follow an elliptical (or sometimes hyperbolic) path. If, however, gravity points in a constant direction (as we often assume in terrestrial physics problems: it pulls "down"), we get a parabolic trajectory.



          On the timescales of these trajectories that we call parabolic, the difference in direction of gravity from start to end of the flight is so tremendously minimal, that we can treat it as a perturbation from the "down" vector and then ignore it entirely. This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect.



          At orbital velocities, the effect is so non-trivial that we don't even try to model it as a "down" vector plus a perturbation. We just model the vector pointing towards the center of the gravitational body.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$








          • 4




            $begingroup$
            For the orbital model, the magnitude of the vector changes (as $1/r^2$) as well as the direction.
            $endgroup$
            – NLambert
            Apr 1 at 1:48






          • 3




            $begingroup$
            "This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect" or it works as long as constant gravity field is a good approximation. I think this wording is better, because it's a direct relation, now for whatever reason it changes (speed, timescale, mass, etc.) the simplified model stops working. It also makes clear that the parabola is not a part of the ellipsis, but the approximation as well. (Notabene: Radial gravity model also stops working at certain conditions.)
            $endgroup$
            – luk32
            Apr 1 at 8:42











          • $begingroup$
            For certain types of artillery and missiles we need to do elliptical calculations instead of parabolic because the distances covered means we can no longer assume that the Earth is flat. When firing beyond the horizon the error can be quite significant
            $endgroup$
            – slebetman
            Apr 2 at 4:52
















          54












          $begingroup$

          The difference between the two cases is the direction of the gravity vector. If gravity is pulling towards a point (as we see in orbital mechanics), ballistic objects follow an elliptical (or sometimes hyperbolic) path. If, however, gravity points in a constant direction (as we often assume in terrestrial physics problems: it pulls "down"), we get a parabolic trajectory.



          On the timescales of these trajectories that we call parabolic, the difference in direction of gravity from start to end of the flight is so tremendously minimal, that we can treat it as a perturbation from the "down" vector and then ignore it entirely. This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect.



          At orbital velocities, the effect is so non-trivial that we don't even try to model it as a "down" vector plus a perturbation. We just model the vector pointing towards the center of the gravitational body.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$








          • 4




            $begingroup$
            For the orbital model, the magnitude of the vector changes (as $1/r^2$) as well as the direction.
            $endgroup$
            – NLambert
            Apr 1 at 1:48






          • 3




            $begingroup$
            "This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect" or it works as long as constant gravity field is a good approximation. I think this wording is better, because it's a direct relation, now for whatever reason it changes (speed, timescale, mass, etc.) the simplified model stops working. It also makes clear that the parabola is not a part of the ellipsis, but the approximation as well. (Notabene: Radial gravity model also stops working at certain conditions.)
            $endgroup$
            – luk32
            Apr 1 at 8:42











          • $begingroup$
            For certain types of artillery and missiles we need to do elliptical calculations instead of parabolic because the distances covered means we can no longer assume that the Earth is flat. When firing beyond the horizon the error can be quite significant
            $endgroup$
            – slebetman
            Apr 2 at 4:52














          54












          54








          54





          $begingroup$

          The difference between the two cases is the direction of the gravity vector. If gravity is pulling towards a point (as we see in orbital mechanics), ballistic objects follow an elliptical (or sometimes hyperbolic) path. If, however, gravity points in a constant direction (as we often assume in terrestrial physics problems: it pulls "down"), we get a parabolic trajectory.



          On the timescales of these trajectories that we call parabolic, the difference in direction of gravity from start to end of the flight is so tremendously minimal, that we can treat it as a perturbation from the "down" vector and then ignore it entirely. This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect.



          At orbital velocities, the effect is so non-trivial that we don't even try to model it as a "down" vector plus a perturbation. We just model the vector pointing towards the center of the gravitational body.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          The difference between the two cases is the direction of the gravity vector. If gravity is pulling towards a point (as we see in orbital mechanics), ballistic objects follow an elliptical (or sometimes hyperbolic) path. If, however, gravity points in a constant direction (as we often assume in terrestrial physics problems: it pulls "down"), we get a parabolic trajectory.



          On the timescales of these trajectories that we call parabolic, the difference in direction of gravity from start to end of the flight is so tremendously minimal, that we can treat it as a perturbation from the "down" vector and then ignore it entirely. This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect.



          At orbital velocities, the effect is so non-trivial that we don't even try to model it as a "down" vector plus a perturbation. We just model the vector pointing towards the center of the gravitational body.







          share|cite|improve this answer












          share|cite|improve this answer



          share|cite|improve this answer










          answered Mar 31 at 23:35









          Cort AmmonCort Ammon

          24.4k34881




          24.4k34881







          • 4




            $begingroup$
            For the orbital model, the magnitude of the vector changes (as $1/r^2$) as well as the direction.
            $endgroup$
            – NLambert
            Apr 1 at 1:48






          • 3




            $begingroup$
            "This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect" or it works as long as constant gravity field is a good approximation. I think this wording is better, because it's a direct relation, now for whatever reason it changes (speed, timescale, mass, etc.) the simplified model stops working. It also makes clear that the parabola is not a part of the ellipsis, but the approximation as well. (Notabene: Radial gravity model also stops working at certain conditions.)
            $endgroup$
            – luk32
            Apr 1 at 8:42











          • $begingroup$
            For certain types of artillery and missiles we need to do elliptical calculations instead of parabolic because the distances covered means we can no longer assume that the Earth is flat. When firing beyond the horizon the error can be quite significant
            $endgroup$
            – slebetman
            Apr 2 at 4:52













          • 4




            $begingroup$
            For the orbital model, the magnitude of the vector changes (as $1/r^2$) as well as the direction.
            $endgroup$
            – NLambert
            Apr 1 at 1:48






          • 3




            $begingroup$
            "This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect" or it works as long as constant gravity field is a good approximation. I think this wording is better, because it's a direct relation, now for whatever reason it changes (speed, timescale, mass, etc.) the simplified model stops working. It also makes clear that the parabola is not a part of the ellipsis, but the approximation as well. (Notabene: Radial gravity model also stops working at certain conditions.)
            $endgroup$
            – luk32
            Apr 1 at 8:42











          • $begingroup$
            For certain types of artillery and missiles we need to do elliptical calculations instead of parabolic because the distances covered means we can no longer assume that the Earth is flat. When firing beyond the horizon the error can be quite significant
            $endgroup$
            – slebetman
            Apr 2 at 4:52








          4




          4




          $begingroup$
          For the orbital model, the magnitude of the vector changes (as $1/r^2$) as well as the direction.
          $endgroup$
          – NLambert
          Apr 1 at 1:48




          $begingroup$
          For the orbital model, the magnitude of the vector changes (as $1/r^2$) as well as the direction.
          $endgroup$
          – NLambert
          Apr 1 at 1:48




          3




          3




          $begingroup$
          "This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect" or it works as long as constant gravity field is a good approximation. I think this wording is better, because it's a direct relation, now for whatever reason it changes (speed, timescale, mass, etc.) the simplified model stops working. It also makes clear that the parabola is not a part of the ellipsis, but the approximation as well. (Notabene: Radial gravity model also stops working at certain conditions.)
          $endgroup$
          – luk32
          Apr 1 at 8:42





          $begingroup$
          "This works until the object is flying fast enough that the changing gravity vector starts to have a non-trivial effect" or it works as long as constant gravity field is a good approximation. I think this wording is better, because it's a direct relation, now for whatever reason it changes (speed, timescale, mass, etc.) the simplified model stops working. It also makes clear that the parabola is not a part of the ellipsis, but the approximation as well. (Notabene: Radial gravity model also stops working at certain conditions.)
          $endgroup$
          – luk32
          Apr 1 at 8:42













          $begingroup$
          For certain types of artillery and missiles we need to do elliptical calculations instead of parabolic because the distances covered means we can no longer assume that the Earth is flat. When firing beyond the horizon the error can be quite significant
          $endgroup$
          – slebetman
          Apr 2 at 4:52





          $begingroup$
          For certain types of artillery and missiles we need to do elliptical calculations instead of parabolic because the distances covered means we can no longer assume that the Earth is flat. When firing beyond the horizon the error can be quite significant
          $endgroup$
          – slebetman
          Apr 2 at 4:52












          6












          $begingroup$

          One easy way to tell the difference between a highly eccentric elliptical orbit and a true parabolic orbit is that an object in a parabolic orbit travels at its escape velocity exactly. In astronomy, such orbits are as rare as circular orbits, i.e. they don't exist. An object well below the escape velocity can be in an elliptical orbit that has an eccentricity very close to 1, making it look much like a parabolic orbit when only part of the curve is examined.



          A relatively slow projectile on the surface of the Earth is actually a closed curve ellipse, and if the Earth got out of its way by shrinking to the size of basketball with the same gravitational field, the object would return to its original place in a long cigar shaped elliptical path.



          As an aside, if an object is traveling faster than its escape velocity, it is in a hyperbolic orbit.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            To expand a little more: the path of a Newtonian ballistic projectile under the influence of a single other mass is always a conic section. If the eccentricity is exactly 0, its orbit is a circle, if it is less than 1, the orbit is an ellipse, if it is exactly 1, the orbit is a parabola, and if it is greater than 1, the orbit is a hyperbola. However, the very concept of an "exact value" for a physical measurement is not definable (serious issues under Newton, and strictly not definable in QM). So true circular and parabolic orbits do not exist in reality.
            $endgroup$
            – Paul Sinclair
            Apr 1 at 16:31










          • $begingroup$
            Because in the movie Hidden Figures the intriguing issue was going from ellipse math to parabola math. Thank you
            $endgroup$
            – user56930
            Apr 1 at 19:47










          • $begingroup$
            What is said in this answer is, sure. But I don't think this is what the paraphrase in the question alluded to.
            $endgroup$
            – Arthur
            Apr 2 at 12:11
















          6












          $begingroup$

          One easy way to tell the difference between a highly eccentric elliptical orbit and a true parabolic orbit is that an object in a parabolic orbit travels at its escape velocity exactly. In astronomy, such orbits are as rare as circular orbits, i.e. they don't exist. An object well below the escape velocity can be in an elliptical orbit that has an eccentricity very close to 1, making it look much like a parabolic orbit when only part of the curve is examined.



          A relatively slow projectile on the surface of the Earth is actually a closed curve ellipse, and if the Earth got out of its way by shrinking to the size of basketball with the same gravitational field, the object would return to its original place in a long cigar shaped elliptical path.



          As an aside, if an object is traveling faster than its escape velocity, it is in a hyperbolic orbit.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            To expand a little more: the path of a Newtonian ballistic projectile under the influence of a single other mass is always a conic section. If the eccentricity is exactly 0, its orbit is a circle, if it is less than 1, the orbit is an ellipse, if it is exactly 1, the orbit is a parabola, and if it is greater than 1, the orbit is a hyperbola. However, the very concept of an "exact value" for a physical measurement is not definable (serious issues under Newton, and strictly not definable in QM). So true circular and parabolic orbits do not exist in reality.
            $endgroup$
            – Paul Sinclair
            Apr 1 at 16:31










          • $begingroup$
            Because in the movie Hidden Figures the intriguing issue was going from ellipse math to parabola math. Thank you
            $endgroup$
            – user56930
            Apr 1 at 19:47










          • $begingroup$
            What is said in this answer is, sure. But I don't think this is what the paraphrase in the question alluded to.
            $endgroup$
            – Arthur
            Apr 2 at 12:11














          6












          6








          6





          $begingroup$

          One easy way to tell the difference between a highly eccentric elliptical orbit and a true parabolic orbit is that an object in a parabolic orbit travels at its escape velocity exactly. In astronomy, such orbits are as rare as circular orbits, i.e. they don't exist. An object well below the escape velocity can be in an elliptical orbit that has an eccentricity very close to 1, making it look much like a parabolic orbit when only part of the curve is examined.



          A relatively slow projectile on the surface of the Earth is actually a closed curve ellipse, and if the Earth got out of its way by shrinking to the size of basketball with the same gravitational field, the object would return to its original place in a long cigar shaped elliptical path.



          As an aside, if an object is traveling faster than its escape velocity, it is in a hyperbolic orbit.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          One easy way to tell the difference between a highly eccentric elliptical orbit and a true parabolic orbit is that an object in a parabolic orbit travels at its escape velocity exactly. In astronomy, such orbits are as rare as circular orbits, i.e. they don't exist. An object well below the escape velocity can be in an elliptical orbit that has an eccentricity very close to 1, making it look much like a parabolic orbit when only part of the curve is examined.



          A relatively slow projectile on the surface of the Earth is actually a closed curve ellipse, and if the Earth got out of its way by shrinking to the size of basketball with the same gravitational field, the object would return to its original place in a long cigar shaped elliptical path.



          As an aside, if an object is traveling faster than its escape velocity, it is in a hyperbolic orbit.







          share|cite|improve this answer












          share|cite|improve this answer



          share|cite|improve this answer










          answered Apr 1 at 7:46









          Bill WattsBill Watts

          43518




          43518







          • 3




            $begingroup$
            To expand a little more: the path of a Newtonian ballistic projectile under the influence of a single other mass is always a conic section. If the eccentricity is exactly 0, its orbit is a circle, if it is less than 1, the orbit is an ellipse, if it is exactly 1, the orbit is a parabola, and if it is greater than 1, the orbit is a hyperbola. However, the very concept of an "exact value" for a physical measurement is not definable (serious issues under Newton, and strictly not definable in QM). So true circular and parabolic orbits do not exist in reality.
            $endgroup$
            – Paul Sinclair
            Apr 1 at 16:31










          • $begingroup$
            Because in the movie Hidden Figures the intriguing issue was going from ellipse math to parabola math. Thank you
            $endgroup$
            – user56930
            Apr 1 at 19:47










          • $begingroup$
            What is said in this answer is, sure. But I don't think this is what the paraphrase in the question alluded to.
            $endgroup$
            – Arthur
            Apr 2 at 12:11













          • 3




            $begingroup$
            To expand a little more: the path of a Newtonian ballistic projectile under the influence of a single other mass is always a conic section. If the eccentricity is exactly 0, its orbit is a circle, if it is less than 1, the orbit is an ellipse, if it is exactly 1, the orbit is a parabola, and if it is greater than 1, the orbit is a hyperbola. However, the very concept of an "exact value" for a physical measurement is not definable (serious issues under Newton, and strictly not definable in QM). So true circular and parabolic orbits do not exist in reality.
            $endgroup$
            – Paul Sinclair
            Apr 1 at 16:31










          • $begingroup$
            Because in the movie Hidden Figures the intriguing issue was going from ellipse math to parabola math. Thank you
            $endgroup$
            – user56930
            Apr 1 at 19:47










          • $begingroup$
            What is said in this answer is, sure. But I don't think this is what the paraphrase in the question alluded to.
            $endgroup$
            – Arthur
            Apr 2 at 12:11








          3




          3




          $begingroup$
          To expand a little more: the path of a Newtonian ballistic projectile under the influence of a single other mass is always a conic section. If the eccentricity is exactly 0, its orbit is a circle, if it is less than 1, the orbit is an ellipse, if it is exactly 1, the orbit is a parabola, and if it is greater than 1, the orbit is a hyperbola. However, the very concept of an "exact value" for a physical measurement is not definable (serious issues under Newton, and strictly not definable in QM). So true circular and parabolic orbits do not exist in reality.
          $endgroup$
          – Paul Sinclair
          Apr 1 at 16:31




          $begingroup$
          To expand a little more: the path of a Newtonian ballistic projectile under the influence of a single other mass is always a conic section. If the eccentricity is exactly 0, its orbit is a circle, if it is less than 1, the orbit is an ellipse, if it is exactly 1, the orbit is a parabola, and if it is greater than 1, the orbit is a hyperbola. However, the very concept of an "exact value" for a physical measurement is not definable (serious issues under Newton, and strictly not definable in QM). So true circular and parabolic orbits do not exist in reality.
          $endgroup$
          – Paul Sinclair
          Apr 1 at 16:31












          $begingroup$
          Because in the movie Hidden Figures the intriguing issue was going from ellipse math to parabola math. Thank you
          $endgroup$
          – user56930
          Apr 1 at 19:47




          $begingroup$
          Because in the movie Hidden Figures the intriguing issue was going from ellipse math to parabola math. Thank you
          $endgroup$
          – user56930
          Apr 1 at 19:47












          $begingroup$
          What is said in this answer is, sure. But I don't think this is what the paraphrase in the question alluded to.
          $endgroup$
          – Arthur
          Apr 2 at 12:11





          $begingroup$
          What is said in this answer is, sure. But I don't think this is what the paraphrase in the question alluded to.
          $endgroup$
          – Arthur
          Apr 2 at 12:11


















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