High school Circular Motion Help?

AI Thread Summary
To determine which moon to land on first, Callisto is identified as the slower moon compared to Ganymede. The spacecraft's velocity must be calculated to "catch up" to Ganymede after landing on Callisto. The thrust exerted by the spacecraft can be derived from its weight, fluid friction, and the time taken to accelerate. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding gravitational forces and orbital speeds in relation to the moons' masses and distances. A deeper comprehension of these concepts is necessary for solving the problem effectively.
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Homework Statement


Part 1
You are traveling to Jupiter's moons:Ganymede and Callisto. You have to land on the slower moon before trying to accelerate to the faster moon. Which moon will you land on first? What must your velocity be in order to "catch up"(accelerate) to the faster moon?

Part 2
Your spacecraft weights 2.04x10^6kg and the fluid friction from the slow moom is 500,000N. The Acceleration due to gravity is 1.3m/s^2. If it takes 30 mins to accelerate to the faster moon, how much thrust does the spacecraft exert?

Homework Equations


G=6.67x10^-11m^3/kg^2
Ganymede: Mass=1.48x10^23kg, Semi-Major Axis=1,070,400km
Callisto: Mass=1.076x10^23kg, Semi-Major Axis=1,882,700km

The Attempt at a Solution


I used F=GMm/r^2 to find the pull between the two moons and Jupiter, and I think that the slower moon would be Callisto. But I don't think that's the right equation to use. And now I have no idea where to even start the other parts of the question.I really want to understand because I don't really get my teacher's explanation. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Think about this, what are the orbital speeds of the planets in the solar system? Is there some kind of relationship? Would the relationship, if it exists, be the same for juipters moons?

Now what about two planets the same distance from the sun, one with twice the mass as the other. Which planet would orbit quicker?
 
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