Homework Help: force of gravity

Posted by ami on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 6:30pm.

A satellite orbits around the earth. The mass of the satellite is 1170 kg, and its altitude is 220 km. The mass of the earth is 5.98×1024 kg. The radius of the earth is 6.38×106 m.

1)What is the gravitational force on the satellite?
2)What is the orbital velocity of the satellite?
3)What is the period of the satellites motion?
4)What is the gravitational potential energy of the satellite?
5)What is the total mechanical energy of the satellite in orbit?

force of gravity - Little Miss X, Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 7:27pm
Part 1

Fg = m1m2g/d^2

force of gravity = (mass 1)(mass 2)(gravitational constant)/distance^2

Fg =(1170kg)(5.98 x 10^24kg)(g)/(220km + 6.38 x10^6)

I don't remember what the exact value for g (gravitational constant) is, but you can probably get that from your text. It might be
6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2/kg^2
force of gravity - bobpursley, Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 7:44pm
Miss X meant G, not g.

Fg=GMeMs/(re+alt)^2 watch units.

Orbital velocity: Fg=Fcent
Fg= Ms*v^2/(re+alt)

solve for v
Period:
Period= 2PI*(re+alt)/velocity

GPE= -GMeMs/(re+alt)

total: GPE+ KE

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