Matched to the AP Physics 1 course first taught in fall 2024: Unit 2 Force and Translational Dynamics (2.6 Gravitational Force, 2.9 Circular Motion), Unit 3 Work, Energy, and Power (3.4 Conservation of Energy) and Unit 6 Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems (6.6 Motion of Orbiting Satellites).
Curriculum links last reviewed November 2026.
Low, medium, geostationary and polar orbits, and what each one is used for.
derive the speed of a satellite in a circular orbit and check it against the ISS.
Derive v = sqrt(GM/r) and work it out for the ISS at about 420 km. Compare with the 7.66 km/s on its tracker.
Satellites and rocket stages due to come back down, and when.
explain where an orbiting satellite's energy goes as its orbit decays.
Pick an object due to re-enter this week. Estimate its kinetic energy at 7.8 km/s if it has a mass of 1,000 kg.
These are our suggestions for where each tool fits. Always preview a page before using it with a class: some tools show ads, these school pages do not.
NGSS codes are shown as performance expectations, for example MS-ESS1-1.
Know a better fit for your year group, or a topic we have missed? Tell us and we will add it.
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Orbital Radar. (2026, November 4). AP Physics 1: gravity, orbits and energy. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/ap
“AP Physics 1: gravity, orbits and energy.” Orbital Radar, 4 Nov. 2026, orbitalradar.com/schools/us/ap. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.
Orbital Radar (2026) AP Physics 1: gravity, orbits and energy. Available at: https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/ap (Accessed: 4 November 2026).
Orbital Radar. “AP Physics 1: gravity, orbits and energy.” Last modified November 4, 2026. https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/ap.
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author = {{Orbital Radar}},
title = {AP Physics 1: gravity, orbits and energy},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
howpublished = {\url{https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/ap}},
url = {https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/ap},
urldate = {2026-11-04},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04}
}TY - ELEC AU - Orbital Radar, TI - AP Physics 1: gravity, orbits and energy PY - 2026 DA - 2026/11/04 PB - Orbital Radar UR - https://orbitalradar.com/schools/us/ap Y2 - 2026/11/04 LA - en-US ER -
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