If the height of the orbit of a satellite from the earth’s surface is increased, the tangential velocity of the satellite will ………

Question

Fill in the blanks and explain the statement with reasoning:

If the height of the orbit of a satellite from the earth’s surface is increased, the tangential velocity of the satellite will ………

Answer 1

If the height of the orbit of a satellite from the earth’s surface, is increased, the tangential velocity of the satellite will decrease.

Explanation: The gravitational force (F) exerted by the earth on the satellite will decrease if the height of the orbit of the satellite from the earth’s surface is increased. Hence, the tangential velocity of the satellite will decrease. The formula

shows that υ_c decreases with increasing h.