A satellite orbits at a distance from the Earth's center of about 2.60 Earth radii and takes 5.89 hours to go around once. What distance (in meters) does the satellite travel in one day?

Question

Whitney Lawrence

Physics

15 December, 23:01

A satellite orbits at a distance from the Earth's center of about 2.60 Earth radii and takes 5.89 hours to go around once. What distance (in meters) does the satellite travel in one day?

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Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Megan Beard · Answer 1

424088766.068 m

Explanation:

Radius of the circular orbit that the satellite is 2.6 Earth radii (r) = 2.6 R

R = Radius of earth = 6371000 m (mean radius)

In order to find the distance that the satellite travels in 5.89 hours to complete one complete revolution is the circumference of the circular orbit

Circumference of a circle = 2*π*r

⇒Distance travelled in 5.89 hours = 2*π*2.6 R

⇒Distance travelled in 5.89 hours = 2*π*2.6*6371000

⇒Distance travelled in 5.89 hours = 104078451.3393m

Distance travelled in 1 hour = 104078451.3393/5.89 = 17670365.252 m

∴ Distance travelled in 24 hours = 17670365.252*24 = 424088766.068 m