The circular velocity of a satellite orbiting Earth is given by . In this equation, M represents the ____.
A) mass of the satellite, and r its radius
B) mass of the satellite, and r the distance from Earth to the satellite
C) mass of the satellite, and r the distance from Earth's surface to the satellite
D) mass of Earth, and r the radius of Earth
E) mass of Earth, and r is the distance from Earth to the satellite

Question

The circular velocity of a satellite orbiting Earth is given by .  In this equation, M represents the ____.
A) mass of the satellite, and r its radius 
B) mass of the satellite, and r the distance from Earth to the satellite 
C) mass of the satellite, and r the distance from Earth's surface to the satellite 
D) mass of Earth, and r the radius of Earth 
E) mass of Earth, and r is the distance from Earth to the satellite

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The circular velocity equation is given by V = sqrt(GM/r), where V is the velocity of the satellite, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of Earth, and r is the distance from Earth to the satellite. Therefore, in the given equation 11ebf823_6d01_f264_ab7c_7fe345e1fe94_TBX9273_00, M represents the mass of Earth, and r is the distance from Earth to the satellite.

The Circular Velocity of a Satellite Orbiting Earth Is Given