What is the tangential speed of a satellite in this orbit?

In summary: I suggest that you check your textbook for circular motion, centripetal acceleration, force due to gravity, gravitational acceleration.
  • #1
soyger
4
0

Homework Statement


Suppose that a satellite is in a circular orbit at a height of 2.00x10^6 m above Earth's surface. What is the tangential speed of a satellite in this orbit?


Homework Equations


vt=rw


The Attempt at a Solution


I have been stuck for almsot 30 minutes, I think that the height is the radius but then I have no method of finding the angular speed.
 
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  • #2
What formulas do you know that relate to circular motion? How about gravity?
 
  • #3
i think I am supposed to use the one i put here, but I am not sure
 
  • #4
You can use it, but clearly it alone is not sufficient to answer the question. You yourself have said that you don't know what ω is.

Also, you should recognize the difference between radius and height above surface.
 
  • #5
gneill said:
You can use it, but clearly it alone is not sufficient to answer the question. You yourself have said that you don't know what ω is.

Also, you should recognize the difference between radius and height above surface.

o sorry, w is the angular speed.
 
  • #6
soyger said:
o sorry, w is the angular speed.

Yes, but you don't have a value for it. So clearly you need more information to proceed.

You'll have to pull out what you know about circular motion and gravitation.
 
  • #7
I don't really know much, i missed two days due to and am kinda behind? Do you have any thought on solving the question?
 
  • #8
I suggest that you check your textbook for circular motion, centripetal acceleration, force due to gravity, gravitational acceleration.

You could also search the forum for similar topic threads to see how others have approached this sort of problem. Even Google will probably turn up relevant examples if you're clever about the keywords.

I'm sorry that I can't do more than offer hints and suggested topics to investigate -- it's forum policy to have the student do the work solving the problems.
 

1. What is tangential speed?

Tangential speed is the linear speed of an object along its circular path, measured at any given point.

2. How is tangential speed related to orbital speed?

Tangential speed and orbital speed are the same thing. They both refer to the speed of a satellite as it orbits around a central body.

3. What factors affect the tangential speed of a satellite?

The tangential speed of a satellite is affected by the mass of the central body, the distance from the satellite to the central body, and the mass of the satellite itself.

4. How is tangential speed calculated for a satellite in a given orbit?

The tangential speed of a satellite in a given orbit can be calculated using the equation v = √(GM/r), where v is the tangential speed, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the central body, and r is the distance between the satellite and the central body.

5. Why is tangential speed important for satellites?

Tangential speed is important for satellites because it determines the orbit of the satellite and its ability to maintain a stable trajectory around the central body. It also affects the amount of time it takes for the satellite to complete one orbit.

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