A satellite sitting on the ground has a weight of 5000 N. When it is placed in orbit 500 km above the surface of the Earth (which has a radius of 6380 km), which choice best describes its weight?
Very small but slightly greater than zero.
Zero.
Still 5000 N.
Slightly less than 5000 N.
The satellite's weight is inversely proportional to the distance from the center of the Earth. Using that fact, try to figure out the correct answer.
The satellite is not weightless, although the astronauts inside may think so.
To answer this question, we need to understand the concept of weight and how it changes with distance from the Earth's surface.
Weight is the force of gravity acting on an object and is given by the equation W = mg, where m is the mass of the object and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
The force of gravity decreases with distance from the center of the Earth according to the inverse square law. In other words, as you move away from the Earth's surface, the force of gravity decreases. This means that the weight of an object will also decrease as it moves further from the Earth's surface.
In this case, the satellite is initially on the ground with a weight of 5000 N. However, when it is placed in orbit 500 km above the surface of the Earth, it is further away from the center of the Earth. Therefore, the force of gravity acting on the satellite is weaker, and as a result, its weight will be less than 5000 N.
Therefore, the correct choice is: Slightly less than 5000 N.