Question

The tallest mountain on Planet Q, rising 8910 m above sea level, was named Mt. Everest by the first explorers. At what horizontal velocity would a satellite have to be launched from the top of Mt. Everest to be placed in a circular orbit around Planet Q? The radius of Planet Q is 6460 km and the acceleration due to gravity near its surface is g = 9.82 m/s2.

Answer 1

According to Newton´s gravitation law, the acceleration due to gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the center of the planet. Everest height, R_E = 6460 Km + 8.91 Km

You have to calculate the velocity of the satellite if the satellite will rotate in a circular orbit of radius R_E. The concept is, the centrifugal force on the satellite is equal to gravitational pull from the planet. Therefore,

7.959 Km/s horizontal velocity would a satellite have to be launched from the top of Mt. Everest to be placed in a circular orbit around Planet Q.