ELEMENTARY DERIVATION OF KEPLERS LAWS

A simple derivation of all three so-called Kepler laws is presented in which the orbits, bound and unbound, follow directly and immediately from conservation of energy and angular momentum. The intent is to mak e this crowning achievement of Newtonian mechanics easily accessible t o students in-introductory physics courses. The method is also extende d to simplify the derivation of the Rutherford scattering law. (C) 199 6 American Association of Physics Teachers.