Table of Contents
Do satellites lose speed?
When in circular motion, a satellite remains the same distance above the surface of the earth; that is, its radius of orbit is fixed. Furthermore, its speed remains constant.
What causes satellites to lose speed?
The satellite could be knocked or moved closer or farther from the object it is orbiting. If it moved closer, gravity would pull more strongly, if it moved farther, gravity would have less of a pull. The satellite could dip into the atmosphere of a planet and be slowed by that.
Do satellites slow down over time?
Artificial satellites slow down all the time, and uniformly, they are no longer able to resist the pull of gravity and fall back to Earth. Satellites carry fuel to help maintain their orbits, but when that fuel runs out… sooner or later they will fall back to the ground.
What does the speed of a satellite depend on?
The period, speed and acceleration of a satellite are only dependent upon the radius of orbit and the mass of the central body that the satellite is orbiting.
What is the speed of a geostationary satellite?
A geostationary satellite orbits the earth with a velocity of 3.07km/s. So, the satellite orbits the earth with a constant speed of 3.07km/s because the magnitude of its speed is constant. However, its direction is constantly changing, as seen in the diagram below.
What happens to the speed of a satellite in circular motion?
When in circular motion, a satellite remains the same distance above the surface of the earth; that is, its radius of orbit is fixed. Furthermore, its speed remains constant. The speed at positions A, B, C and D are the same.
What are the characteristics of a satellite orbiting the Earth?
There are a few concepts with regards to a satellite orbiting the earth. The orbit is actually elliptical, but it is treated as circular for easier calculations. The satellite is orbiting with constant speed. The satellite’s velocity is always changing. The satellite is accelerating, because there is a net force acting on it.
What is the gain of potential energy when a satellite moves?
The gain of potential energy as it moves from A to B to C is consistent with the fact that the satellite moves further from the surface of the earth. As the satellite moves from C to D to E and back to A, it gains speed and loses height; subsequently there is a gain of kinetic energy and a loss of potential energy.