Satellite, magnitude/acceleration problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter tennisman03110
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Satellite
AI Thread Summary
To calculate the acceleration due to gravity at a satellite's orbit 3.59*10^7 m above Earth's surface, the formula g = G * (M / r^2) can be used, where G is the gravitational constant, M is Earth's mass, and r is the distance from Earth's center. The radius r is the sum of Earth's radius and the altitude of the satellite. The mass of the satellite is not needed for this calculation, as gravity depends only on the mass of the Earth and the distance from its center. Users discussed the importance of understanding the relationship between gravitational force and distance in orbital mechanics. Proper application of these principles allows for accurate calculations of gravitational acceleration for satellites.
tennisman03110
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Satellites are placed in a circular orbit that is 3.59*10^7 m above surface of earth. What is the magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity at this distance? A formula to use or the work would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Show how you started, please.
 
I tried using F=G(m1*m2)/r^2. i didnt know the mass of the satellitle though so i was left with multple variables. I also tried using g, but that didnt work. I guess I really don't know how to start when the satellite has an unknown weight.
 
I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'
Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
Back
Top