The orbital motions of planets and comets, as depicted here, are governed by the laws of mechanics.
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Windows to the Universe original artwork by Randy Russell.
Mechanics is one of the main branches of physics. Mechanics deals with the motion of physical objects. It also deals with the forces that act on
physical objects. How hard do I have to pull a full wagon before it will budge? What happens when an asteroid slams into a planet? How should
we launch a satellite to put it into orbit? These are the sorts
of questions that the study of mechanics can help us answer.
You may have studied mechanics without knowing it. Have you ever studied or built a simple machine like a lever or pulley? Those machines that make our work easier use the laws of mechanics to work.
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