A satellite orbiting the Earth in a circular orbit at 400 miles from the center of Earth is moved to a distance of 1,200 miles from the center of Earth.The gravitational force between the Earth and satellite changes by a factor of 3.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force between the Earth and satellite changes by a factor of 9 (not 3) when the distance is tripled. This can be derived from the inverse square law of gravity, which states that the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Thus, if the distance is tripled, the force becomes 1/9 of the original force.

A Satellite Orbiting the Earth in a Circular Orbit at 400