What is the gravitational potential energy of a satellite in a circular orbit?

In summary, the conversation is about determining the potential energy of a satellite in a circular orbit. The given information includes the radius of the orbit and the mass of the satellite. The suggested equation to use is U=\frac{-GMm}{r}, where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the Earth, and m is the mass of the satellite. The conversation also mentions using Google to find the values for these variables. The only unknown variable is the mass of the Earth.
  • #1
Ania
3
0

Homework Statement



i have to determine the potential energy of a satellite around a circular orbit and i have been given

the radius of the circular orbit is 3Re and mass of a satellite of 5.00*10^2 -- ONLY


Homework Equations



so can use the Gmm/r... and subsitute the mass of the circular orbit as 1.

The Attempt at a Solution

 
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  • #2
Not quite sure what you mean by mass of the circular orbit, but if you use [tex]U=\frac{-GMm}{r}[/tex], where G is the gravitational constant, M is mass of the earth, m is the mass of the sattelite, and r is the radius of the orbit, you should be able to work out the gravitational potential energy U. You might just need to google the mass of the Earth and gravitational constant. Hope this helps.
 
  • #3
no...the satellite is orbiting around a unknown circular orbit with a radius of 3Re
 
  • #4
Ania said:
no...the satellite is orbiting around a unknown circular orbit with a radius of 3Re

Hi Ania! Welcome to PF! :smile:

What do you think is unknown about it?

(Re means Earth radius, of course.)
 

1. What is gravitational potential?

Gravitational potential is a measure of the potential energy of an object due to its position in a gravitational field. It represents the amount of work required to move an object from a reference point to a specific location in the gravitational field.

2. How is gravitational potential calculated?

Gravitational potential is calculated by multiplying the object's mass by the strength of the gravitational field at that point and the distance from the reference point. The equation for gravitational potential is V = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the gravitational field strength, and h is the height or distance from the reference point.

3. What is the difference between gravitational potential and gravitational potential energy?

Gravitational potential is a measure of the potential energy of an object at a specific point in a gravitational field, while gravitational potential energy is the actual amount of energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field. Gravitational potential energy is equal to the product of the object's mass, the strength of the gravitational field, and the distance from the reference point.

4. How does gravitational potential vary with distance?

Gravitational potential decreases as the distance from the reference point increases. This means that the further an object is from the reference point, the lower its gravitational potential will be.

5. What are the units of gravitational potential?

The SI unit of gravitational potential is joules per kilogram (J/kg), which is equivalent to meters squared per second squared (m^2/s^2). However, it can also be measured in other units such as foot-pounds per pound (ft-lb/lb) or kilowatt-hours per kilogram (kWh/kg).

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