a satellite orbits the earth in circular orbit 620 km above the suface. if the radius of the earth is 6380 km, calculate, to 3 significanf figures, the distance travelled in a single orbit?
C = pi * d
C = 3.14 * (12,760 + 1,240)
C = ?
circumference of a cirle = pi x diameter.
pi = 3.1415926535 (or just use pi button on calculator)
Diameter = 2 x radius
radius = 6380 (+620) or 7000km
now you have all the info you need, plug in the numbers
To calculate the distance traveled in a single orbit, we need to find the circumference of the circular orbit. We can use the formula for the circumference of a circle, which is given by:
C = 2 * π * r
where C is the circumference and r is the radius of the circle.
In this case, the radius of the satellite's orbit is given as 620 km above the surface of the Earth. To find the total radius of the orbit, we need to add the radius of the Earth to the distance above the surface. So the total radius would be:
Total radius = radius of the Earth + distance above the surface
Total radius = 6380 km + 620 km
Total radius = 7000 km
Now we can calculate the distance traveled in a single orbit using the formula for circumference:
C = 2 * π * r
C = 2 * π * 7000 km
C ≈ 43996.5 km
Therefore, the distance traveled in a single orbit is approximately 43996.5 km (rounded to 3 significant figures).