In: Physics
A satellite is orbiting the Earth at a distance of 2.31 RE and with a speed of 3.53 km/s. With what speed would the satellite hit the Earth's surface if somehow it suddenly stopped and fell to Earth? Ignore air resistance.
Hello,
Given:
Initial orbiting height of the satellite is
Initial orbital speed of the satellite is
Radius of the earth is
Mass of the earth is
Gravitational constant is
We have to find the speed of the satellite (v2) with which it falls on the surface of the earth.
Solution:
According to the law of conservation of energy,
Cancelled m from both sides
Simplify for v2 as
Substitute the given values in it as
The speed of satellite hit the surface of the earth is 9.138 km/s.
Thanking You!