Forces in 2D and Circular Motion

Big Questions: 
1)  What does it mean to analyze forces in 2D?
2) How do forces cause objects to move in a circle?
3)What does it mean to be in orbit? How do satellites orbit planets? How do planets orbit the sun?

 During class this week, we have been learning about forces in 2D and Circular Motion. We learned about tension and how to find the Fx and Fy by using SOH CAH TOA which is something that we learned last year in geometry. During the lab involving the hover disk, we had the hover disk connected to a string which we used to move in a circle. The reason that the hover disk moved in a circle was due to the tension that we applied on it. The part of the lab where we had to spin the hover disk in a circle and then release it was to see if it would continue moving in a circle. My group and I concluded that it went in a straight line and the reason it did not continue moving in a circle was because no tension was being applied after releasing the hover disk.

Being in orbit means that the object still moves in a circle and continues going around. Satellites orbit planets with the help from the gravitational pull which makes the object fall at high speeds but is still moving in a circle due to the planet orbiting around. Planets orbit the sun with the help of the sun's gravity which is similar to all other planets.