A satellite is in a circular orbit about the Earth at a distance of two Earth radii above the surface. What is the speed of the satellite? (The radius of the Earth is 6.4 *10⁶ m, and G = 6.67 *10^-¹¹ N * m²/kg².) A) 2800 m/s B) 4600 m/s C) 5600 m/s D) 16,800 m/s

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The satellite's orbital radius is three times the Earth's radius (since it's two Earth radii above the surface). Using the formula for orbital speed $ v = \sqrt{\frac{GM}{r}} $, where $ r = 3 \times 6.4 \times 10^6 $ m, the calculated speed is approximately 4600 m/s.

A Satellite Is in a Circular Orbit About the Earth