A satellite of negligible mass is moving in a stable circular orbit of radius around…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences
Problem
A satellite of negligible mass is moving in a stable circular orbit of radius r around an isolated planet of mass M. Answer the following questions with suitable reasoning.
(i) Explain qualitatively how the orbital speed of the satellite depends on the orbital radius r.
(ii) If the orbital radius is doubled, describe what happens to (a) the speed, (b) the kinetic energy per unit mass, and (c) the total mechanical energy per unit mass of the satellite. Justify your answers without carrying out detailed numerical calculations.
(iii) State whether the orbit remains bound when the radius is doubled and give a brief reason for your answer.