(a) Derive, from first principles, an expression for the minimum work per unit mass…

PHYSICS · Subjective · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences

Problem

(a) Derive, from first principles, an expression for the minimum work per unit mass

w

required to transfer a satellite from one circular orbit of radius

r_1

to another of radius

r_2

about Earth. (b) Using your result, find

w

when

r_1 = R_E + 400\,\text{km}

and

r_2 = 2 R_E

, where

R_E = 6.4\times10^{6}\,\text{m}

and

G M_E = 3.986\times10^{14}\,\text{m}^3\,\text{s}^{-2}