Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Gravitational Force
The gravitational force is the attractive force between two masses, described by Newton's law of universal gravitation. It states that the force is proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. This force is crucial for understanding how satellites maintain their orbits around a planet.
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Centripetal Acceleration
Centripetal acceleration is the acceleration directed towards the center of a circular path, necessary for an object to maintain its circular motion. It is calculated using the formula a_c = v^2 / r, where v is the orbital speed and r is the radius of the orbit. This concept helps in determining the relationship between the speed of a satellite and its distance from the planet.
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Orbital Speed
Orbital speed is the speed at which an object must travel to maintain a stable orbit around a celestial body. It can be derived from the balance of gravitational force and centripetal force acting on the satellite. For circular orbits, the formula v = √(GM/r) is used, where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the planet, and r is the orbital radius.
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