Intro

The radius and period of each planet in our solar system around the sun has been provided, in order to create graphs and make calculations based on these values. These experimental values will then be compared to their theoretical counterparts, in an effort to prove or disprove Keplers Laws (as well as Newtons).

Conclusion

The experimental and theoretical values for k, GM of Earth, and the mass of the Sun were extremely close to one another. The area calculations were not by any means exact, but were also not so far apart as to constitute a failed experiment.

There are not many errors to be found in such a small lab, but some are still present nonetheless. The only real error with the lab itself was that the data values provided for radius and period were only provided with three significant figures, making some of the calculated values less accurate. Apparatus error could be found in the protractor and ruler, and human error would cause an inherent error with the area calculations, given that it is easy to mess up the lines between each point, causing fairly significant variations.

The areas were not exactly the same because, besides the obvious and ever-present human error mentioned above, a planets orbit is much less elliptical than is portrayed in the diagram, and is typically much more akin to a circle than an ellipse.

Given that the results were extremely close in nearly every case, it is safe to say this lab was a success within experimental error.