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dvela
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1. A spy satellite is in circular orbit around earth. It makes one revolution in 6.00 h. (a) How high above the Earth's surface is the satellite? (b) What is the satellite's acceleration?
A circular orbit is a type of orbit in which an object, such as a satellite, moves around another object in a circular path. The object being orbited, such as a planet or star, is located at the center of the circle.
Circular orbits of satellites are maintained by a balance between the satellite's forward motion and the force of gravity pulling it towards the center of the orbit. This results in a consistent circular path around the object being orbited.
The period of a satellite's circular orbit is determined by the object being orbited, the distance between the two objects, and the mass of the objects. The larger the mass and distance between the objects, the longer the period of the orbit.
While satellites can have very close to circular orbits, it is difficult for them to have perfectly circular orbits due to the influence of other objects and forces such as the Earth's atmosphere. However, satellites can be placed in stable orbits that are close to being circular.
Elliptical orbits differ from circular orbits in that they are not perfectly round, but instead are slightly elongated. This means that the satellite's distance from the object being orbited varies throughout its orbit, resulting in a longer period and different speeds at different points in the orbit.