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Math Forum » Discussions » Math Topics » geometry.pre-college.independent

Topic: Hyperbolas in Nature
Replies: 29   Last Post: Mar 24, 2010 6:05 AM

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Terri Lynn

Posts: 4
Registered: 12/10/04
hyperbolas in nature
Posted: Mar 16, 2003 2:21 PM
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Hyperbolas can be found in nature as the orbit of a body in space.
For example, Apollow 13's trajectory coming back to the earth while
using the gravity of the moon to slingshot it home, was a parabola.
Therefore, when two bodies interact gravitationally their orbits are
conic sections. The planets and the sun interact permenantly,
therefore the planets have elliptical orbits around the sun. Apollo
13 and the moon do not interact permanently, therefore the orbit of
Apollo 13 was a hyperbola. The same could probably be said for comets
and other heavenly bodies that travel and are affected by the
gravities of other bodies during their travesl.

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