What is the speed of a geosynchronous satellite on Earth?
geez. just google it.
The orbit ha a radius of 22,236 miles, and of course, the satellite completes one orbit in 24 hours, so its speed is
(2π * 22236 / 24) mi/hr
I think that is the altitude, not the radius.
Use 26,199 mi
Oops. You are correct.
To calculate the speed of a geosynchronous satellite on Earth, we need to consider the following factors:
1. Radius of Earth (r): The average radius of Earth is approximately 6,371 kilometers (or 3,958 miles).
2. Orbital radius of the satellite (R): A geosynchronous satellite orbits at an altitude of around 35,786 kilometers (or 22,236 miles) above Earth's surface.
Now, let's calculate the speed using the formula for the orbital velocity of a satellite:
orbital velocity (v) = 2πR / T
Where:
- π is a mathematical constant approximately equal to 3.14159
- R is the orbital radius
- T is the orbital period
For a geosynchronous orbit, the orbital period is 24 hours since it revolves around the Earth at the same rate as the Earth rotates on its axis.
Plugging in the values:
v = (2 * 3.14159 * 35,786 km) / 24 hours
Converting the radius to meters and time to seconds:
v = (2 * 3.14159 * 35,786,000 m) / (24 hours * 3600 seconds)
Simplifying the equation:
v ≈ 3,069.096 m/s
Therefore, the speed of a geosynchronous satellite on Earth is approximately 3,069.096 meters per second (m/s).