English

Derive an expression for the critical velocity of a satellite.

Advertisements
Advertisements

Question

Derive an expression for the critical velocity of a satellite.

Derivation
Advertisements

Solution

The expression for critical velocity:

  1. Consider a satellite of mass m revolving round the Earth at height h above its surface. Let M be the mass of the Earth and R be its radius.
  2. If the satellite is moving in a circular orbit of the radius (R + h) = r, its speed must be equal to the magnitude of critical velocity vc.
  3. The centripetal force necessary for the circular motion of a satellite is provided by the gravitational force exerted by the satellite on the Earth.
    ∴ Centripetal force = Gravitational force
    ∴ `"mv"_"c"^2/"r" = "GMm"/"r"^2`
    ∴ `"v"_"c"^2 = "GM"/"r"`
    ∴ `"v"_"c" = sqrt("GM"/"r")`
    ∴ `"v"_"c" = sqrt("GM"/("R+h")) = sqrt("g"_"h" ("R + h"))`
    This is the expression for critical speed at the orbit of radius (R + h).
  4. The critical speed of a satellite is independent of the mass of the satellite. It depends upon the mass of the Earth and the height at which the satellite is the revolving or gravitational acceleration at that altitude.
shaalaa.com
  Is there an error in this question or solution?
Chapter 5: Gravitation - Exercises [Page 98]

APPEARS IN

Balbharati Physics [English] Standard 11 Maharashtra State Board
Chapter 5 Gravitation
Exercises | Q 3. (i) | Page 98

RELATED QUESTIONS

Suppose there existed a planet that went around the sun twice as fast as the earth.What would be its orbital size as compared to that of the earth?


A nut becomes loose and gets detached from a satellite revolving around the earth. Will it land on the earth? If yes, where will it land? If no, how can an astronaut make it land on the earth?


A satellite is orbiting the earth close to its surface. A particle is to be projected from the satellite to just escape from the earth. The escape speed from the earth is ve. Its speed with respect to the satellite


A body stretches a spring by a particular length at the earth's surface at the equator. At what height above the south pole will it stretch the same spring by the same length? Assume the earth to be spherical.


(a) Find the radius of the circular orbit of a satellite moving with an angular speed equal to the angular speed of earth's rotation. (b) If the satellite is directly above the North Pole at some instant, find the time it takes to come over the equatorial plane. Mass of the earth = 6 × 1024 kg.


Answer the following question.

What do you mean by geostationary satellite?


Answer the following question in detail.

Why an astronaut in an orbiting satellite has a feeling of weightlessness?


Answer the following question in detail.

Obtain an expression for the binding energy of a satellite revolving around the Earth at a certain altitude.


Answer the following question in detail.

Obtain an expression for the critical velocity of an orbiting satellite. On what factors does it depend?


Answer the following question in detail.

Two satellites A and B are revolving round a planet. Their periods of revolution are 1 hour and 8 hour respectively. The radius of orbit of satellite B is 4 × 104 km. Find radius of orbit of satellite A.


Solve the following problem.

Calculate the speed of a satellite in an orbit at a height of 1000 km from the Earth’s surface.
(ME = 5.98 × 1024 kg, R = 6.4 × 106 m)


Solve the following problem.

Calculate the value of acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Mars if the radius of Mars = 3.4 × 103 km and its mass is 6.4 × 1023 kg.


A planet has mass 6.4 × 1024 kg and radius 3.4 × 106 m. Calculate the energy required to remove an object of mass 800 kg from the surface of the planet to infinity.


A body weighs 5.6 kg wt on the surface of the Earth. How much will be its weight on a planet whose mass is 7 times the mass of the Earth and radius twice that of the Earth’s radius?


Two satellites of a planet have periods of 32 days and 256 days. If the radius of the orbit of the former is R, the orbital radius of the Latter is ______


Which of the following statements is CORRECT in respect of a geostationary satellite?


If a body weighing 40 kg is taken inside the earth to a depth to radius of the earth, then `1/8`th the weight of the body at that point is ______.


Two satellites of masses m1 and m2 (m1 > m2) are revolving round the earth in circular orbit of radii r1 and r2 (r1 > r2) respectively. Which of the following statements is true regarding their speeds v1 and v2?


Out of following, the only correct statement about satellites is ____________.


A satellite of mass 'm', revolving round the earth of radius 'r' has kinetic energy (E). Its angular momentum is ______.


Is it possibe for a body to have inertia but no weight?


A satellite revolves around a planet very close to its surface. By what maximum factor can its kinetic energy be increased suddenly, such that it revolves in orbit in the same way?


Artificial satellites are launched for all the following purposes EXCEPT ______.


Which application is mainly associated with polar satellites?


A satellite is revolving round the earth with orbital speed ‘V0’. If it stops suddenly, the speed with which it will strike the surface of the earth would be: (V = escape velocity of a particle on earth’s surface)


Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×