For a satellite that orbits a planet in an ellipse with perigee distance and apogee…
PHYSICS · Subjective · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences
Problem
For a satellite that orbits a planet in an ellipse with perigee distance rp and apogee distance ra, show that the satellite’s total mechanical energy per unit mass equals −rp+raGM, where M is the planet’s mass.