Why does a satellite move in a circular orbit at constant speed?
Answer and explanation: A satellite in circular orbit moves at a constant speed because during the revolution, the direction changes every moment and the speed is constant. The speed does not depend on the direction, it is a scalar quantity. The speed depends on the direction, it is a vector quantity.
Why do satellites orbit without changing speed?
A satellite orbiting closer to Earth requires more speed to resist the stronger gravitational pull. Satellites carry their own fuel supply, but unlike how a car uses gas, there is no need to maintain speed in orbit. It is reserved for changing orbit or avoiding collision with debris.
What determines the speed of a satellite in orbit?
As seen in the equation v = SQRT(G * Mcentral / R), the mass of the central body (the Earth) and the radius of the orbit affect the orbital speed. The orbital radius in turn depends on the height of the satellite above the earth.
What force keeps a satellite in orbit?
Gravity
Gravity provides the force necessary to maintain a stable orbit of planets around a star and also moons and artificial satellites around a planet.
Which is constant for a satellite in orbit?
When in circular motion, a satellite stays the same distance above the earth’s surface; that is, its radius of orbit is fixed. In addition, its speed remains constant. The speed at positions A, B, C and D is the same. The heights above the earth’s surface at A, B, C, and D are also the same.
How long can a satellite stay in orbit?
A satellite has a useful life of between 5 and 15 years depending on the satellite. It’s hard to design them to last much longer than that, either because the solar panels stop working or they run out of fuel to keep them in the orbit they’re supposed to be in.
How fast does a satellite travel?
They complete an orbit in about 90 minutes because they are close to Earth and gravity causes them to move very quickly at about 17,000 miles per hour. Many satellites have to be used as communication relays because the area they cover on the Earth’s surface is small and they move very quickly.
Can a satellite remain in orbit indefinitely?
It is impossible for a satellite to remain in orbit indefinitely.
Are satellites constantly falling?
Satellites are basically constantly falling. Satellites can be driven by the sun, the moon, and even the planet Jupiter. You would think gravity was enough to cope. But, satellites in low Earth orbit such as the Hubble Space Telescope can also be pulled out of orbit by atmospheric drag.
What is the value of G?
Its value is 9.8 m/s2 on Earth. That is, the acceleration of gravity on the earth’s surface at sea level is 9.8 m/s2. When discussing the acceleration of gravity, it was mentioned that the value of g depends on location.
