What is the Difference Between Kepler and Newton Law?

The main difference between Kepler's and Newton's laws lies in their scope and the principles they are based on:

• Kepler's Laws: These laws describe the motion of planets in the solar system. They are empirical and were derived from observations of planetary motion. Kepler's laws include:
• The orbit of every planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two focal points.
• A line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.
• The square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.
• Newton's Laws: Newton's laws of motion are more general and describe all forms of motion, not just planetary motion. They are based on the principles of classical mechanics and have been verified through experimental methods and observations. Newton's laws include:
• Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.
• The change in motion (acceleration) of an object is proportional to the force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass.
• When one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first object.

While Kepler's laws focus on the motion of planets in the solar system, Newton's laws encompass all forms of motion and provide a more complete explanation of the underlying principles governing such motion. Newton's laws also provided corrections to Kepler's laws and expanded the understanding of planetary motion by introducing the concept of gravity.

Comparative Table: Kepler vs Newton Law

The main difference between Kepler's and Newton's laws of planetary motion is that Kepler's laws are empirical, while Newton's laws are based on a theoretical framework. Here is a comparison table of the two:

Kepler's laws, based on the observations of Johannes Kepler, describe the motion of planets around the Sun, specifically regarding their elliptical orbits and the equal area swept by the imaginary line connecting the planet to the Sun in equal periods of time. On the other hand, Newton's laws, formulated by Isaac Newton, are a set of three laws that describe the relationship between motion and force, including the law of universal gravitation, which explains the force of gravity acting between celestial bodies.