JEE MainPhysicsGravitation
A geostationary satellite is orbiting the earth at a certain height. Another satellite is placed in a circular orbit such that its orbital radius is one-fourth of the orbital radius of the geostationary satellite. The time period of the second satellite is
Options
- A3 hours
- B6 hours
- C1.5 hours
- D192 hours
Correct answer
A. 3 hours
Step-by-step solution
The time period of a geostationary satellite is T₁ = 24 hours . According to Kepler's Third Law, the square of the time period is proportional to the cube of the orbital radius: T^2 R^3 Let the orbital radius of the geostationary satellite be R₁ and that of the second satellite be R₂ . We are given R₂ = R₁ 4 . Taking the ratio of their time periods: ( T₂ T₁ )^2 = ( R₂ R₁ )^3 ( T₂ 24 )^2 = ( 1 4 )^3 = 1 64 Taking the square root on both sides: T₂ 24 = 1 8 T₂ = 24 8 = 3 hours Answer: 3 hours