Circular and Satellite Motion - Mission CG8 Detailed Help


A satellite is orbiting the Earth. If the mass of the satellite were increased by a factor of 2, then the orbital speed of the satellite would ____ by a factor of ____.


 
The orbital speed (v) of a satellite about a planet is given by the equation
 
 v = SQRT (G•Mplanet/R)

where Mplanet is the mass of the planet and R is the radius of the orbit.


 
Many students have a preconception that the orbital speed of a satellite is dependent in some way upon the mass of the satellite. The most usual idea is that a more massive satellite would need a greater orbital speed. But don't be fooled! The orbital speed of a satellite is independent of the mass of the satellite and solely dependent upon the radius of orbit and the mass of the planet being orbited.


 

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