Orbit Definition and 1000 Threads

  1. P

    Delat energy required to excite hole from lowest energy orbit to valence band?

    Delta energy required to excite hole from lowest energy orbit to valence band? I have calculated the orbit of a hole in its lowest energy orbit, but am struggling to work out \delta\epsilon (energy needed to excite it to valence band). Any help much appreciated.
  2. C

    Energy to put space shuttle in orbit

    Homework Statement The space shuttle orbits about 300km above the surface of the Earth. The shape of the orbit is circular and the mass of the space shuttle is 6.8*104kg. The mass of the Earth is 6.0*1024kg and the radius of the Earth is 6.4 *106m. Calculate the energy needed to put the space...
  3. P

    Question about space junk in orbit

    I did not know where else to post this question but put it here since it is more related to mechanics than to astronomy. I am curious as to why small bits of space junk (bolts for example) are traveling so fast around Earth that they could poke holes in the International Space Station. Are...
  4. A

    Deriving an expression for the radius of a satellite's orbit around Earth(?)

    Homework Statement Derive an expression for the radius of a satellite's orbit around Earth in terms of the period of revolution, the universal gravitation constant, and Earth's mass. Homework Equations The final equation should be: r = \sqrt[3]{\frac{T^{2}Gm_{E}}{4\prod^{2}}} The...
  5. U

    Calculating Orbital Speed: Jupiter & Earth Orbit Time

    ok just a couple orbital questions I forget the equation that needs to be used and do not have my textbook with me so if anyone knows the equation for finding orbital speed that would be great! 1. calculate the speed of a satellite in orbit 9.5 x10^3 km above jupiter. radius of Jupiter =...
  6. S

    Relativistic Particle in Circular Orbit

    Homework Statement A particle of charge q and rest mass m0 moves in a circular orbit of radius R and angular frequency w in a uniform magnetic field b in the z direction: Find b in terms of R,q , m0, and w. Homework Equations b = (1/c) v X e and v = w/R and e = not sure. My problem is...
  7. A

    Determine the radius of the electron's orbit

    pleasez,,,heeeeeelp me In a simple model of the hydrogen atom, the electron revolves in a circular orbit around the proton with a speed of 2.2*10^6. Determine the radius of the electron's orbit?
  8. P

    Finding the minimum speed for putting an object in orbit

    yet another doubt about gravitation. we must affirm that it's also not a homework question, so, we won't need any number, only the formulas. Homework Statement 1) suppose that an object is located in a distance r from the center of the Earth (not necessary to say that r is larger than the...
  9. T

    Calculating the Semimajor Axis of Pasachoff's Orbit

    Homework Statement The asteroid Pasachoff orbits the Sun with a period of 1417 days. What is the semimajor axis of its orbit? Determine from Kepler's third law, using Earth's orbital radius and period, respectively, as your units of distance and time. ans : _______ km Homework...
  10. G

    What would happen to Earth's orbit if it increased in mass or lost velocity?

    Would it begin to spiral into the sun or would it slip into a new orbit? Don't most meteorite impacts occur due to the Earth sweeping into the meteor like a car hitting bugs? Wouldn't each and every impact slow the Earth down a tiny bit while also adding to the mass of the planet? I...
  11. H

    The Mystery of Satellite Speed: Solving an Elliptical Orbit

    Homework Statement A satellite is in an elliptical orbit at altitudes ranging from 230 to 890 km. At the high point it's moving at 7.23 km/s. How fast is it moving at the low point? I would think i would have to use some sort of energy conservation equations. but i really don't know where...
  12. R

    Binary Stars: Equal Mass, 350 Million km Separation, 5.4 Earth Years Orbit".

    Suppose that a binary-star system consists of two stars of equal mass. They are observed to be separated by 350 million {\rm km} and take 5.4 Earth years to orbit about a point midway between them. I got 1.1x10^29 as my answer, but it is incorrect. Can anyone help me out?
  13. G

    Calculating minimum energy to remove satellite from orbit

    Homework Statement A satellite of mass 4500 kg orbits the Earth in a circular orbit of radius of 7.6 x 10^6 m (this is above the Earth's atmosphere).The mass of the Earth is 6.0 x 10^24 kg. What is the speed of the satellite? What is the minimum amount of energy required to move the...
  14. qntty

    How can I track Earth's distance to the sun on a specific date?

    A few weeks ago I saw a web page (I believe it was at NASA) that allowed you to enter a date and see Earth's distance to the sun on that date. I searched but can't find the site again, does anyone know where I can find this page?
  15. M

    Electron orbital frequency of hydrogen atom if given orbit radius

    Homework Statement In a classical model of the hydrogen atom, the electron moves around the proton in a circular orbit of radius 0.053 nm. A) What is the electron's orbital frequency? Homework Equations F = qE E= kq/r^2 angular velocity = v^2/r The Attempt at a Solution I'm...
  16. A

    How Does Earth's Orbit Affect Light Travel Time?

    Homework Statement Ole Roemer found that the maximum increased delay in the appearance of Io (a moon of Jupiter, I believe) from one orbit to the next was 14 seconds. a) How far does light travel in 14 seconds? b) Each orbit of Io is 42.5 h. Earth traveled the distance calculated above...
  17. V

    Question about orbit determination with find_orb

    Hello I'm trying to calculate the orbital elements of a moving body in the solar system with given three observations. I'm trying to solve this with the software "find_orb" but it seems like I should define a provisional designation in the input file. the problem I just have the dates, RA...
  18. H

    Explain an Orbit: Simple Definition & Example

    I'm trying to study a proof for a quiz right now, and even though I have the answer, I don't get it because I don't understand what an orbit is. I got no definition in class, and can't find anything in the book. I looked on wikipedia, but that was completely over my head. Can someone please...
  19. W

    What Is the Stone’s Speed at 96,000 km From Earth?

    I have a bunch of ideas how to solve this problem, but I cannot figure out which one is right... A stone is released from rest at the Moon’s orbit and falls towards the Earth. What is the stone’s speed when it is 96,000 km from the center of the Earth? Thanks, Adam
  20. P

    Achieving an 895 km Orbit: Calculating v

    How fast must a satellite leave Earth's surface to reach an orbit with an altitude of 895 km? Ek + Eg (earth) = 1/2 Eg (could you please show how to substitute to solve for v) this question is on the forum and it was suggested to add this v once calculated to 7404.5 m/s which was calculated...
  21. V

    Elliptical Orbit Question with no numbers

    Homework Statement A satellite of mass m is in an elliptical orbit around the Earth, which has mass M and radius R. The orbit varies from closest approach of 'a' at point A to maximum distance of 'b' from the center of Earth at point B. At point a the speed of the satellite is vo. Assume Ug...
  22. P

    What is the new orbit if k is halved in a circular orbit with F(r)=-k/r^2?

    Homework Statement A particle in circular orbit moves in a force field given by F(r)=-k/r^2. If k is halved what will the new orbit be? Homework Equations The answer is the orbit becomes parabolic but how? how does the total energy become zero as for parabolic orbits total energy=0...
  23. Math Jeans

    Oscillation of disturbed constrained circular orbit

    Homework Statement Consider a particle of mass m constrained to move on the surface of a paraboloid whose equation (in cylindrical coordinates) is r^2=4az. If the particle is subject to a gravitational force, show that the frequency of small oscillations about a circular orbit with radius...
  24. A

    Space shuttle Atlantis orbit question

    Homework Statement True or False: The space shuttle Atlantis follows an essentially circular obrit for most of it's operational time on a mission. While in orbit, the gravity of the Earth does not do any work on the shuttle because the shuttle is not accelerating. Homework Equations...
  25. A

    Moon's Orbit: Moving Closer or Farther From Earth?

    It was reported that the Dec 12th moon was the closest it has been to Earth in 15 years. I've always heard that the moon is actually moving away from the Earth. Is the moon in a specific orbit? Or does its orbit change and if so, does it change in a specific way?
  26. C

    Creating a 3D Planet Orbit Simulator

    I am making a three dimensional planetary orbit simulator but I can't figure out a formula that can work out where a certain planet is at a certain time e.g. if a planet with speed s was at position a with the sun at position b at time 0 then how would I calculate the position of the planet at...
  27. P

    The most distant object that can still orbit the Earth.

    Hi all, I am puzzled as to how far an object can still be influenced by the Earth gravity. The same question with the Sun as the central object. Thank you.
  28. G

    What is the period of orbit for a space station placed 30 000km from the Earth?

    Homework Statement A space station is placed in an orbit of radius 30 000km. What is the period of the station's orbit around the Earth? (I previously worked out the period of rotation of the space station as 22 secs but I didn't think it was relevant to this part of the question besides...
  29. G

    Calculating the Period of an Orbit around Earth

    Homework Statement A space station is placed in an orbit of radius 30 000km. What is the period of the station's orbit around the Earth? (I previously worked out the period of rotation of the space station as 22 secs but I didn't think it was relevant to this part of the question besides...
  30. R

    How Do You Derive Orbit Functions in 2D Using Calculus?

    In a simple flat 2 dimensional plane of a two body orbit, both circular & elliptic. How do you write the functions wrt “t” time for: 1) Force vector equation (that applies acceleration) 2) Velocity vector equation 3) Position vector equation That allows applying simple calculus...
  31. D

    Can Satellites Measure Earth's Geode Using Velocity Instead of Position?

    Hello, layman question here. Suppose a spaceship approaches a highly massive body, at great speed; it violently swings around the body and comes back in less than a minute. All in a free trajectory, with thrusters never applied. The question is: would the occupants of the ship be crushed...
  32. T

    Circular motion (planetary orbit) question

    Homework Statement A turntable is spinning at 100 rpms. It has a mass of 2kg and a radius of 0.1 meters. 2 blocks of mass 0.5kg fall simultaneously on 2 opposite ends of a diagonal and manage to stick. What is the new angular velocity of the turntable after the blocks stick? Homework...
  33. snoopies622

    Verifying Lagrange Equations for Orbit around Massive Body

    I am trying out the Lagrange equations for the first time, in this case for a particle in orbit around a massive body using classical mechanics. I come up with 2 \dot r \dot \theta + r \ddot \theta = 0 \ddot r - r \dot \theta ^2 + \frac {GM}{r^2}=0 These seem credible to me...
  34. S

    Putting an item into orbit. Help

    Homework Statement No idea how to do this honestly, but here it is. Hopefully someone can just work this out and I can learn from that. Calculate the velocity needed to place a 14.5kg item (its a turkey but whatever lol) into orbit around the Earth at an elevation of 100km. The radius of the...
  35. Philosophaie

    Why Do Planets Travel in Elliptical Orbits Around the Sun?

    Why do the planets travel in elliptical orbit around the Sun?
  36. C

    How Do You Find A Central Force Orbit?

    If you are given a central force field and an initial velocity of a particle in this field, how would you go about finding the orbit of the particle in polar coordinates? Thanks for you help and time.
  37. D

    Meteor Entering Orbit of a Sun (cons. energy & momentum) [very hard algebra]

    Homework Statement Alright, so I've given this guy a few cracks, and I think I'm close to it, but apparently I'm not right, so here's how it goes. Simple in concept. A meteor moves toward the solar system with speed v0 in a direction such that it would miss the sun by a distance d if it...
  38. C

    Calculating Work for Satellite Orbits Around Earth

    Homework Statement A satellite mass 481 is in circular orbit of 9.29x10^6 m above the surface of the Earth the weight of a 65.1 kg astronaut inside the satellite What work was done (ignoring friction) to put the satellite into this orbit. Assume it started at rest on the surface of the Earth...
  39. C

    How Much Energy Is Required to Launch a Satellite into Orbit?

    1. Homework Statement A satellite of mass 200 kg is launched from a site on Earth's equator into an orbit at 205 km above the surface of Earth. What is the minimum energy necessary to place the satellite in orbit, assuming no air friction? I also figured the orbital period to be 5300 s and...
  40. M

    How Long Does It Take Earth to Orbit the Sun?

    Please help... Given that the distance to the sun from the Earth is 1.5*10^11 m and the the mass of the sun is 1.9*10^30 kg. Using Keplers law find the period of the Earth's orbit recorded in seconds; show how to express your anwser in years; and if your anwser does not agree with the accepted...
  41. MTd2

    Pioneer anomaly possibly found manifest in Saturn orbit.

    Now it’s Saturn’s turn to flummox astrophysicists. The Russian astronomer Elean Pitjeva, who heads the Laboratory of Ephemeris Astronomy at the Institute of Applied Astronomy in St Petersburg, has analysed a huge data set of planetary observations dating back to 1913, including 3D observations...
  42. S

    Angular speed of earth in its orbit

    Homework Statement Express each of the following in radians per second: (a) 720 ; (b) 50 ; (c) 1000 ; (d) 1 (which is the angular speed of Earth in its orbit). Homework Equations why all my answers are wrong? please help me! The Attempt at a Solution
  43. V

    Escape velocity FROM a satellite in orbit?

    The question: At what speed would a small object have to be launched from the satellite in order to escape earth’s gravity, assuming that the satellite is not moving? The satellite is in circular orbit around the Earth and the radius of the orbit is 4.22 x 10^7. The main problem I am having...
  44. D

    Calculating Angle and Frequency of Mars-Sun Opposition

    Mars orbits the sun at a mean orbital radius of 228e9 m and has an orbital period of 687 d. Earth orbits teh sun at a mean orbital radius of 149.6e9 m. a)The earth-sun line sweeps out an angle of 360 degrees during one earth-year. Approximately what angle is swept out by the Mars-sun line...
  45. L

    Circular kinematics a star in orbit around another star.

    i got part a, but i can't get part b! 1. A star has a mass of 2.96 x 10^30 kg and is moving in a circular orbit about the center of its galaxy. The radius of the orbit is 3.3 x 10^4 light-years (1 light-year = 9.5 x 10^15 m), and the angular speed of the star is 1.6 x 10-15 rad/s. (a) Determine...
  46. P

    Derive Angular Momentum in Elliptical Orbit

    Homework Statement A planet with mass m is orbiting about the Sun (mass m(s)) with elliptical orbit such that the maximum and minimum distance is r1 and r2 respectively. What is its angular momentum, L, of the planet relative to the centre of the Sun? Homework Equations...
  47. P

    Derive angular momentum of planet with elliptical orbit

    Homework Statement A planet of mass m orbiting the Sun(mass=m_s along an elliptical orbit, with aphelion r1 and perihelion r2. Find the angular momentum of the planet relative to the centre of the Sun. Homework Equations Angular momentum, M=m(R\times v)=mvR sin\theta Distance from Sun...
  48. M

    Orbit Collision: Find New Earth Orbit Axes (A,B) in Terms of R

    Homework Statement If Halley's comet hits the Earth head on and after the collision the Earth continues to move in its initial direction but with 12% greater speed, find the new semi-major and semi-minor axes on the new Earth orbit in terms of the earth-sun distance (R) for the present...
  49. fluidistic

    Question about sending satellite circular orbit

    Is it possible to put in circular orbit an object from Earth's ground? My friend said yes and told me we were going to see how exactly in 2 years when we'll learn about a more formal mechanics. But I've thought about it and I believe it's impossible. My thought is that the satellite will...
  50. M

    Solving Elliptical Orbit Homework: Comet's Semi-Major Axis & Sun Distance

    Homework Statement The period of a comet orbit is 100 years. As its closests approach is 0.37 AU from the sun. What is the semi-major axis of the comet's orbit? How far does it get from the sun? Homework Equations (T1/T2)^2 = (s1/s2)^3 The Attempt at a Solution I don't even know...
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