How do Newton's laws apply to orbital motion?

Newton's laws apply to orbital motion by explaining how objects move in a gravitational field.

In orbital motion, an object is constantly falling towards the centre of the gravitational field, but its forward motion keeps it from crashing into the central body. This is described by Newton's first law, which states that an object will remain in uniform motion unless acted upon by a net force.

Newton's second law, which states that force is equal to mass times acceleration, explains how the gravitational force acting on an object in orbit causes it to accelerate towards the central body. The acceleration is directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the object's mass.

Finally, Newton's third law, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, explains how the central body is also affected by the orbiting object. The central body is pulled towards the orbiting object with the same force that the object is pulled towards the central body.

Overall, Newton's laws provide a comprehensive explanation of how objects move in a gravitational field, including how they maintain their orbits around a central body.