A satellite is in an elliptical orbit around Earth. At one point on the ellipse, it is 40 × 10⁶ m from the center of Earth and has a speed of 10,000 m/s. At another point on the ellipse its speed is 9100 m/s. How far from the center of Earth is the second point? The mass of Earth is 5.97 × 10²⁴ kg and G = 6.67 x 10^-11 N·m²/kg². A) 2.9 × 10⁸ m B) 4.3 × 10⁸ m C) 6.7 × 10⁷ m D) 8.6 × 10⁷ m E) 9.1 × 10⁷ m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A because the angular momentum of the satellite is conserved, so its speed is inversely proportional to its distance from the center of Earth.

A Satellite Is in an Elliptical Orbit Around Earth