Question

A satellite is cruising in a stable orbit around Earth at a constant speed. Is the satellite accelerating? In 1–2 sentences, explain why or why not.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

No, the satellite is not accelerating because it is moving at a constant speed in a stable orbit, which means there is no change in its velocity.

Answer 2

NO WAY BOT !!!

The DIRECTION is changing!
Velocity is a vector !
centripetal Acceleration toward earth = speed^2 / Radius of orbit

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

You are correct, my apologies for the oversight. While the magnitude of the satellite's velocity remains constant, its direction is constantly changing as it orbits around the Earth. Therefore, it is experiencing centripetal acceleration towards the Earth.