Find the apogee from v at perigee, perigee, g, and the radius of Earth

In summary, the problem involves finding the apogee and orbital period of a satellite orbiting the Earth, with given values for the perigee and tangential speed at perigee. The task is complicated by the restriction to not use the mass of the Earth in the calculations, but the constants of gravitational acceleration and the radius of the Earth can be used to infer the gravitational parameter. From there, the basic orbital motion equations can be applied to solve for the apogee and orbital period.
  • #1
Natchanon
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3

Homework Statement


Satellite orbits the Earth and its perigee r_min and tangential speed at perigee v_pe are given. The problem says do not use mass of Earth in the calculation, and use the only the constants g = 9.8 and radius of Earth 6380 km. I'm supposed to find the apogee and orbital period, but not using mass of Earth makes things seem so complicated. And the formula for period itself has mass of Earth in it.

Homework Equations


where ecc is eccentricity
perigee = r_min + radius of Earth
r_max = (1+ecc)*r_min/(1-ecc)

The Attempt at a Solution


Since argular momentum is conserved,
m v_pe r_min = m v_ap r_max
=> r_max = v_pe r_min / v_ap
I tried to find v_ap, but that the formula has mass of Earth in it, so I can't use that.
Thank you
 
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  • #2
But given g and the radius of the Earth you can infer the gravitational parameter ##\mu = GM_e##, right?
 
  • #3
gneill said:
But given g and the radius of the Earth you can infer the gravitational parameter ##\mu = GM_e##, right?
So what you meant is
g = GM/r_earth^2 = μ/r_earth^2
=> g*r_earth^2 = μ ? That makes sense. Thank you.
 
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  • #4
Natchanon said:
So what you meant is
g = GM/r_earth^2 = μ/r_earth^2
=> g*r_earth^2 = μ ? That makes sense. Thank you.
Yup. And so you can proceed with the rest of the usual basic orbital motion equation lexicon.
 
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1. What is the apogee?

The apogee is the point in an orbit around Earth where the object is at its farthest distance from the Earth.

2. How do you calculate the apogee from v at perigee, perigee, g, and the radius of Earth?

To calculate the apogee, you can use the following formula: apogee = (perigee * v^2)/(2g * (rEarth + perigee)). This formula takes into account the velocity at perigee, the perigee distance, the gravitational constant (g), and the radius of Earth.

3. What is the perigee?

The perigee is the point in an orbit around Earth where the object is at its closest distance to the Earth.

4. How does the radius of Earth affect the apogee?

The radius of Earth plays a significant role in determining the apogee. A larger radius of Earth would result in a larger apogee, while a smaller radius would result in a smaller apogee.

5. Can you calculate the apogee without knowing the velocity at perigee?

No, the velocity at perigee is a crucial factor in calculating the apogee. Without this information, it is not possible to accurately determine the apogee.

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