What Is the Orbital Period of a Satellite at 1000 km Altitude?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the orbital period of a satellite at an altitude of 1000 km above Earth. Participants are addressing the necessary conversions and the relationship between altitude and orbital radius in the context of gravitational physics.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are attempting to convert altitude from kilometers to meters and are questioning the accuracy of their conversions. There is a focus on understanding the distinction between altitude and the radius required for calculations.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing corrections and clarifications regarding unit conversions and the need to add Earth's radius to the altitude to find the correct orbital radius. There is no explicit consensus yet, but guidance has been offered on the correct approach to the problem.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express confusion over unit conversions and the definitions of altitude versus radius, indicating a need for clarity in these foundational concepts. There is also a mention of homework rules that may influence the approach to the problem.

SmallPub
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Homework Statement

If a satellite is to orbit Earth at an altitude of 1.00x10^3 Km, what would be its orbital period? rs = 1.00x10^3 km, Mearth = 5.97x10^24 kg, Gravitational Constant = 6.67x10^-11



Homework Equations



T= 2∏√r^3/GM



The Attempt at a Solution

rs = 0.815484549m (i converted the satellite's altitude to meters) T= 2∏√0.815484549^3/6.67x10^-11 x 5.97x10^24 = error in my calculator ):

Edit: i did not convert km into meters correctly so it would be 1 meter

2∏√1^3/6.67x10^-11 x 5.97x10^24
 
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SmallPub said:

Homework Statement

If a satellite is to orbit Earth at an altitude of 1.00x10^3 Km, what would be its orbital period? rs = 1.00x10^3 km, Mearth = 5.97x10^24 kg, Gravitational Constant = 6.67x10^-11



Homework Equations



T= 2∏√r^3/GM



The Attempt at a Solution

rs = 0.815484549m (i converted the satellite's altitude to meters) T= 2∏√0.815484549^3/6.67x10^-11 x 5.97x10^24 = error in my calculator ):

Where does "0.815484549" come from? Also, keep in mind that altitude is not the same thing as radius :wink:
 
gneill said:
Where does "0.815484549" come from? Also, keep in mind that altitude is not the same thing as radius :wink:

In my class i have to convert Km to meters so i divide it by 100. So to find the radius of the satellite do i have to add the radius of the Earth to the altitude of the satellite?

Thanks

EDIT: I mean 1000 so it would be 1m oops
 
Think! 1 kilometer is 1000 meters, not 0.01 meters. Aside: How did you get 0.815484549 meters by dividing 1.00x10^3 km by 100? (And once again, you do not want to divide by 100.)

Altitude means height above the surface of the Earth, so to get the distance from the center of the Earth you need to add the Earth's radius to the altitude.
 
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SmallPub said:
In my class i have to convert Km to meters so i divide it by 100. So to find the radius of the satellite do i have to add the radius of the Earth to the altitude of the satellite?

Thanks

EDIT: I mean 1000 so it would be 1m oops

Each km is 1000 meters. So to convert km to meters, multiply by 1000. Thus, 1000 km is 1000 x 1000 meters. And yes, add the Earth radius to the altitude to determine the orbital radius.
 
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D H said:
Think! 1 kilometer is 1000 meters, not 0.01 meters. Aside: How did you get 0.815484549 meters by dividing 1.00x10^3 km by 100? (And once again, you do not want to divide by 100.)

Altitude means height above the surface of the Earth, so to get the distance from the center of the Earth you need to add the Earth's radius to the altitude.

when i divided km by 100 i was thinking cm into meters (because 100cm = 1m ) and yes i got 0.815484549m by doing 1.00x10^3 km by 100, it was pretty stupid of me and thanks for your help
 

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