Am I correct in assuming that once an object has broken orbit on a certain path, it will stay on that path?

Question

Obviously factoring the gravitational effects of the various bodies it passes.

Answer 1

It depends. Most orbits in the inner solar system are stable, and the inner solar system (everything inside Mars) is not "chaotic". The outer solar system, however, is still somewhat chaotic, and objects can radically change their orbits. This is not a property of the orbit itself, or of the object, but of the whole system of objects orbiting the Sun. Back in the early days of the solar system, the whole system was chaotic and there were many more planets than there are today. Some where lost to interstellar space, some fell into the Sun.

Answer 2

I am not sure what you mean by "broken", but basically, an orbit is a repeating path. That means than if the object has no rocket engine, or if it has one but never turns it on, then if it ever comes back to a place it has been before, then from there on it will follow the same path it did before. That is a simple two body case though, just the Sun and one planet as the only things in the universe. Or the Earth and one satellite as the only things in the universe. In the real universe, other things, like the gravity of Jupiter, make some small changes so that the orbits do not repeat exactly, but it is still pretty close to repeating exactly in most cases.

Answer 3

Sure. Works the same for planets as for people. Once I stop orbiting a guy/relationship, I just keep on coasting through the galaxy looking for a body with decent gravity to orbit next. If there's too much storm activity it's never gonna' work. I keep following my new path.

Okay, seriously, yes. The body will behave like a comet or asteroid until it's path travels at the right angle to another body larger or denser than itself. Then, depending on the angle, it will either get drawn to the other body's surface by force of gravity or it will adopt a circular path - also dependent on it's polarization and whether it is strong enough to have enough of it's own gravity to resist being absorbed or colliding.

Answer 4

Yes. Think of it like this. If you're swinging a ball on a string around your head, and the string breaks, the ball will keep going in the direction it was going when the string broke. It won't veer off to the left or right, as if it were still influenced by the circular path it was once in. It will just go straight.

Answer 5

Well i hate to be the one to point out the obvious, but yes newton's law of inertia would apply that the object would stay on that path, but the object has already broken its orbit, thereby not continuing on its original path, it has been deterd to another path, and with regards to inertia, the object will in fact stay on this current path until it is caused to "break orbit" again.

Answer 6

Yes, you are correct. Although consideration must be made for spacial bodies that the object passes as their gravitational pull may directly or indirectly augment the path followed.

Answer 7

Yes, until it doesn't get hit, diverted by any other moving object or caught in another planetary orbit . In space there is no gravity & no air to affect is movement path of the object sent to momentum.

Answer 8

you are correct, in space all you need is one fixed point and it will always travel that direction unless it hits other gravitational fields

Answer 9

You are correct. Newton's first law applies.

Answer 10

I guess im stupid.