1) What is the direction of the net force acting in a satellite as it orbits Earth at a constant speed?
A) in the direction the satellite is moving
B) toward the center of the earth
C) away from the center of earth
D) opposite the direction the satellite Is moving
2) Satellite A is orbiting earth at an altitude of 500 km and satellite B is orbiting 800 km above the surface. How does the velocity of satellite a compare to the velocity of satellite b?
A) it depends on the masses of the satellites
B) the velocity of satellite B is equal to the velocity of satellite A
C) the velocity of satellite A is greater than the velocity of satellite b
D) the velocity of satellite a is less than the velocity of satellite b
3) What happens to the gravitational force and orbital velocity of a satellite as the satellite transfers to an orbit that is closer to earth?
A) the gravitational force increases and the velocity decreases
B) the gravitational force decreases and the velocity increases
C) the gravitational force increases and the velocity increases
D) the gravitational force decreases and the velocity decreases
Did you get the answer?
1) B) toward the center of the earth. The net force acting on a satellite in orbit is the gravitational force pulling it towards the center of the Earth.
2) D) the velocity of satellite A is less than the velocity of satellite B. The velocity of a satellite in orbit depends on the distance from the center of the Earth. The higher the altitude, the slower the velocity.
3) B) the gravitational force decreases and the velocity increases. As a satellite transfers to an orbit that is closer to the Earth, the distance between the satellite and the center of the Earth decreases. This leads to a decrease in gravitational force and an increase in orbital velocity.
1) To determine the direction of the net force acting on a satellite as it orbits Earth at a constant speed, we need to analyze the forces acting on the satellite. There are two main forces at play: the gravitational force and the centripetal force.
The gravitational force is always directed towards the center of the Earth. This is because gravity is a force of attraction between two masses, in this case, the satellite and the Earth.
The centripetal force is the force that keeps the satellite moving in a circular path. It is always directed towards the center of the circular path.
For a satellite orbiting Earth at a constant speed, the net force must be zero. This means that the gravitational force and the centripetal force must be equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to cancel each other out. Therefore, the net force is directed towards the center of the Earth, which corresponds to Option B) toward the center of the Earth.
2) The velocity of a satellite in orbit depends on its altitude or distance from the Earth's surface. As the altitude increases, the velocity of the satellite decreases. This is because the gravitational force weakens with increasing distance from the Earth's surface.
In this case, Satellite A is orbiting at an altitude of 500 km, while Satellite B is orbiting at an altitude of 800 km. Since Satellite A is at a lower altitude, it is closer to the Earth's surface and experiences a stronger gravitational force. Therefore, Satellite A will have a higher velocity compared to Satellite B.
Hence, the correct answer is Option C) the velocity of Satellite A is greater than the velocity of Satellite B.
3) When a satellite transfers to an orbit closer to the Earth, its distance from the center of the Earth decreases, resulting in a change in both the gravitational force and the orbital velocity.
As the satellite moves closer to the Earth, the gravitational force between the satellite and the Earth becomes stronger. This is because the gravitational force is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, the gravitational force increases when the distance decreases.
Regarding the orbital velocity, it increases as the satellite moves closer to the Earth. This is because the centripetal force required to keep the satellite in orbit is determined by the gravitational force. As the gravitational force increases, so does the centripetal force, which results in an increased orbital velocity.
Therefore, the correct answer is Option C) the gravitational force increases and the velocity increases when the satellite transfers to an orbit that is closer to the Earth.