Newton's Cannonball

Описание: This animation illustrates a famous thought experiment conceived by Isaac Newton to explain the concept of an orbit. It elegantly illustrates that the same force of gravity that pulls an object (like an apple) to the ground is also the force that keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth.

The Thought Experiment
Newton imagined a cannon placed on top of an immensely tall mountain, so high that it was above Earth's atmosphere (eliminating air resistance). The cannon is then fired horizontally.

The path of the cannonball depends entirely on the cannonball’s initial horizontal speed upon leaving the cannon.

Low Speed: If fired with a relatively slow speed, the cannonball travels a short horizontal distance before gravity pulls it down, and it hits the ground.

Faster Speed: If fired with a faster speed, it travels farther around the Earth before landing.

Orbital Speed: At a specific, very high speed, the cannonball travels so fast that the curve of its fall perfectly matches the curve of the Earth's surface. Although it is constantly falling towards the Earth, its horizontal speed is so great that it never actually gets any closer. It continuously "misses" the ground, entering a stable circular orbit.