KCET2025PhysicsGravitation
The total energy of a satellite in a circular orbit at a distance ( R + h ) from the centre of the Earth varies as [ R is the radius of the Earth and h is the height of the oribit from Earth's surface]
Options
- A- 1 ( R + h )
- B1 ( R + h )^2
- C- 1 ( R + h )^2
- D1 ( R + h )
Correct answer
A. - 1 ( R + h )
Step-by-step solution
Total Energy (E) of a Satellite: (E=- G M m 2 r ) Where: - (G ) is the gravitational constant, - (M ) is the mass of the Earth, - (m ) is the mass of the satellite, - (r=R+h ) is the distance from the center of the Earth (i.e., Earth's radius (R ) plus height (h ) above the surface). Therefore: (E - 1 r =- 1 R+h ) Final Answer: The total energy of a satellite in a circular orbit varies inversely with the distance from the center of the Earth, i.e., (E - 1 R+h )