Which of the following statements are true?
a. A satellite’s motion is independent of its mass.
b. A satellite’s velocity and orbital radius are independent of each other.
c. A geosynchronous satellite has a period of approximately 28 days.
d. The launch speed of a satellite determines the shape of its orbit around Earth.
Answer:
The correct options are (a) and (d)
a. A satellite’s motion is independent of its mass.
d. The launch speed of a satellite determines the shape of its orbit around Earth
Explanation:
The velocity of the satellite is given by the equation
v = √(GM)/R
Where G is gravitational constant, M is the mass of the target planet and R is the orbital radius.
Therefore, we can conclude that the motion of satellite doesn’t depend on its mass.
The gravitational force doesn’t change the speed of a satellite so it means that the initial velocity of the satellite will determine the orbital path of the satellite.
A geosynchronous satellite has a period of 1 day.
Answer: b and c
Explanation:
b. A satellite’s velocity and orbital radius are independent of each other.
c. A geosynchronous satellite has a period of approximately