value , which
cancels out when
compared.We now see that the gravitational force exerted by the Sun is greater than that
exerted by the Moon (by a factor of about ).
- An artificial satellite of mass m travels at a constant speed in a
circular orbit of radius R around Earth (mass M). What is the speed
of the satellite?
Here’s How to Crack It
The centripetal force on the satellite is provided by Earth’s gravitational pull.
Therefore
Solving this equation for v yields
v =More on Rotational
Motion
Questions 7 and 8 are
tackling slightly advanced
topics, and if you’re not
already comfortable with
these mechanics, you can
read more on this page
about how speed,
centripetal acceleration,
centripetal force, and
the radius are related
for objects experiencing
rotational motion.