Suppose we want to place a weather satellite into a circular orbit 300 km above

Question

Suppose we want to place a weather satellite into a circular orbit 300 km above the earth’s surface. What speed, period, and radial acceleration must it have? The earth’s radius is6380km=6.38×106m, and its mass is5.98×1024kg.

Part A - Practice Problem:

Find the speed for an earth satellite that has a period of 1 day (86400 s ).

Express your answer in meters per second to three significant figures.

Part B - Practice Problem:

Find the orbit radius for an earth satellite that has a period of 1 day (86400 s ).

Express your answer in meters to three significant figures.

Explanation / Answer

A) T = 2pi R / v

R = vT / 2pi =

and GM m / R^2 = mv^2 / R

GM / R = V^2

GM / (vT / 2pi) = v^2

v^3 = (6.67 x 10^-11 x 5.98 x 10^24 x 2pi ) / (86400)

v = 3072.54 m/s

B) R = 3072 x 86400 / 2 xpi = 42250474.31 m

R = 4.225 x 10^7 m ......Ans

from surface = R - Re = 3.59 x 10^7 m

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse S
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.