Question

An artificial satellite circling the Earth completes each orbit in 130 minutes.

(a) Find the altitude of the satellite. m

(b) What is the value of g at the location of this satellite?

Answer 1

Given, orbit time t = 130 min =130*60 s = 7800 s

(a) We know, GM/r2 = v2 / r; where M is mass of earth, r is orbit radius, and v is orbit speed.

=> v = (GM/r)0.5

We know, orbit length = 2πr

Time period t = 2πr/v = 2*π*(r)3/2 / (GM)1/2

=> ................(Ans (a))

(b) Value of g at this range = GM/r2 = 5.5145 m/s2