A satellite has a mass of 99 kg and is located at 1.97 106 m above the surface of Earth.
(a) What is the potential energy associated with the satellite at this location?
Answer in J
(b) What is the magnitude of the gravitational force on the satellite?
Answer in N
To find the potential energy associated with the satellite at its location, we can use the formula:
Potential energy = mass * acceleration due to gravity * height
The mass of the satellite is given as 99 kg, and the height above the surface of the Earth is 1.97 * 10^6 m. The acceleration due to gravity near Earth's surface is approximately 9.8 m/s^2.
To calculate the potential energy, we can substitute these values into the formula:
Potential energy = 99 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 * 1.97 * 10^6 m
Evaluating this equation will give us the answer in joules (J).
Now, to calculate the magnitude of the gravitational force on the satellite, we can use the formula for gravitational force:
Gravitational force = mass * acceleration due to gravity
Substituting the mass of the satellite (99 kg) and the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2) into the equation, we can calculate the magnitude of the gravitational force on the satellite.