a 0 b

!a2+b2 a2b2 a+b

c= 2 = , so since JABI >

Why the Moon's Orbit Is Con

Laurent Hodges (lhodges@iastate.edu), a
sity, provides a different perspective on

In the September, 2001 issue of the J

analyzed the orbit of a satellite and der
always convex. He also showed that the m
that the moon's orbit is always convex.
That the moon's orbit is always convex i
introductory physics course. Brannen's ac
ity of the moon's orbit but apparently re
this, may have heard it from a physicist.
The convexity of the moon's orbit occur
tational force on the moon always exceed
moon. Thus even at the time of a solar
and the sun, the net gravitational force o
then reasons as follows: convexity depe
second derivative is acceleration; accelerat
of motion, to the net force; the direction
is always convex.
Brannen's condition for convexity is tha
where Re and Te are the radius and period
and Tm are radius and period of the moon
be expressed as

Re T,e2
Rm> (1)

This turns out to

Letting Mm, Me,
ing that the moo
convexity conditi

GMmMs GMmMe Ms R2
Re2 >oR2>Meor
R'M2 > e (2)

VOL. 33, NO. 2, MARCH 2001 THE COLLEGE MATHEMATICS JOURNAL 169

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 Applying Newton's second law of motion to a circular orbit, recognizing that the
centripetal acceleration has the form v2/R, where v is the orbital speed, and using
the fact that the period T is T = 27rR/v, we can easily derive the Kepler third law
formulas,

T-247R3
TeGMs and GM
T2= G

These give

Ms R3/ T2
Me
Me Rl/T'
R3 / T2' (3)
Substituting (3) into (2) gives Brannen
The numerical values of the gravitatio
newtons by the sun and 2 x 1020 newton
sun, in a manner that is significantly pe

Mathematics Without (Many

Vincent Ferlini (vferlini@keene.edu) send
what he calls the upside-down Pythagor
legs a and b and altitude to the hypot
In the diagram, the right triangles
ing CP, CQ, and CR all have length 1
of an altitude to the hypotenuse of a rig
segments into which the altitude divide
DRU, CU has length 1/x, in triangle
CS has length 1/a. The rectangle CT
theorem.

/...., U

/ a

A D B

An Exercise

In "Reexamining the Catenary" (November 1999, pp. 391-393), Paul Cella de

the equation

170 () THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

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