Orbital Velocity - Satellite

In summary, two satellites with masses m and 3m were placed in circular Earth orbits of radius r. The first satellite has an orbital velocity of v, and the second satellite requires an orbital velocity of √(G 3m/r) to remain in the same orbit. This can be derived from the formula v^2/r = Gm/r^2, which represents the relationship between orbital velocity, radius, and mass.
  • #1
scientict
3
0

Homework Statement



A science group put in a satellite of mass m kg into a circular Earth orbit of radius r. The orbital velocity it needs to remain in this orbit is v. They now put another satellite into a similar orbit at the same altitude. Its mass is 3 times m. What orbital velocity would it need to be given? Give reasons using mathematical reasoning.

Homework Equations



Newton's law v = 2pi x r/T

The Attempt at a Solution



v^2/r=G m/r^2
Satellite 1:
v=√(G m/r)
Satellite 2:
v=√(G 3m/r)
 
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  • #2
scientict said:

The Attempt at a Solution



v^2/r=G m/r^2

What does 'm' represent here? Can you derive this formula?

When a body moves with constant v in a circular orbit, the centripetal force is constant and equal to the force due to Earth's gravity on the body. Now you can deduce the correct version of the above formula using this.
 
  • #3


The orbital velocity of a satellite is determined by the mass of the satellite and the radius of its orbit, as shown by the equation v = √(Gm/r). In this scenario, the mass of the second satellite is 3 times that of the first satellite, so we can substitute 3m for m in the equation. This gives us v = √(G(3m)/r), which can be simplified to v = √(3Gm/r). Therefore, the orbital velocity of the second satellite would need to be √3 times the orbital velocity of the first satellite in order to remain in the same orbit. This is because the gravitational force between the Earth and the satellite is proportional to the mass of the satellite, and a larger mass would require a greater velocity to maintain the same orbit.
 

1. What is orbital velocity?

Orbital velocity is the velocity at which a satellite must travel in order to maintain a stable orbit around a celestial body, such as the Earth.

2. How is orbital velocity calculated?

Orbital velocity is calculated using the formula v = √(GM/R), where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the celestial body, and R is the distance between the satellite and the center of the celestial body.

3. What factors affect orbital velocity?

The primary factors that affect orbital velocity are the mass of the celestial body, the distance between the satellite and the center of the celestial body, and the altitude of the satellite's orbit.

4. Why is orbital velocity important?

Orbital velocity is important because it determines the speed at which a satellite must travel in order to maintain its orbit. If the satellite's velocity is too low, it will fall back to Earth, and if it is too high, it will escape the orbit and fly off into space.

5. How does orbital velocity differ on different celestial bodies?

The orbital velocity required to maintain a stable orbit differs on different celestial bodies due to variations in their mass and size. For example, the orbital velocity for a satellite around Earth is much higher than that of a satellite around the moon, due to Earth's larger mass and size.

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