Space shuttle Atlantis orbit question

[ahrog]

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

W=fd

The Attempt at a Solution

I think this would be false. My answer is that the gravity on Earth does not do any work because the shuttle is moving in a different direction than the force, and it doesn't matter that the shuttle is not accelerating. To have work, the direction moved must be in the same direction as the force. Is this correct?

 

[Dick]

Roughly correct. But then why do you think it's false? The proposition is that no work is done and I agree. Why don't you say it's true? (that no work is done).

 

[ahrog]

Thanks!

 

[turin]

ahrog, you were correct (and not just roughly) to say "false", and for exactly the reason that you gave. Acceleration is irrelevant to work being done, and, in fact, the space shuttle IS accelerating.

Roughly correct. But then why do you think it's false? The proposition is that no work is done and I agree. Why don't you say it's true? (that no work is done).

"... because it is not accelerating." There was more than one proposition made.

Would you say that, "the arora borealis occurs near the north pole because it is created by santa claus," is a true statement? It is certainly true that the arora borealis occurs near the north pole, but I would still declare this to be a false statement.

 

[Dick]

ahrog, you were correct (and not just roughly) to say "false", and for exactly the reason that you gave. Acceleration is irrelevant to work being done, and, in fact, the space shuttle IS accelerating.


"... because it is not accelerating." There was more than one proposition made.

Would you say that, "the arora borealis occurs near the north pole because it is created by santa claus," is a true statement? It is certainly true that the arora borealis occurs near the north pole, but I would still declare this to be a false statement.

Right! I wasn't paying nearly enough attention to the 'because' part. Thanks for catching that.