Three-Body Problem Simulation

Two isolated Newtonian point masses have conic-section relative orbits: bound ellipses or unbound parabolic and hyperbolic paths. Three or more bodies generally require numerical integration. Special periodic solutions exist; not every three-body system is chaotic. No. This is a planar educational model in dimensionless units, using velocity Verlet and softened gravity. The figure-eight is an approximation of a special Newtonian orbit. It omits collisions, relativity and real planetary data.

استانداردها: Common Core CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.IF.B.4, CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.IF.C.7

• Both bodies orbit their shared centre of mass.
• Compare the changed paths with the original preset. A change does not always produce chaos.
• Choose 2–12 bodies. Select a body to edit its initial mass and velocity, or drag it to change its position. Edits restart the run.

1. 1Both bodies orbit their shared centre of mass.
2. 2Every pair attracts. Softening modifies Newton’s inverse-square law at very short distances.
3. 3Numerical energy error is not chaos. Large error pauses the run; reset or separate nearby bodies.

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