Question

Which of the following statements are correct? Please select all correct answers

Group of answer choices

Satellites of different masses will have the same speed, as long as they are on the same orbit

Satellites of heavier masses will have slower speed

Satellites at different orbits will have different periods

Satellites at the same orbit can have different periods: those with larger masses with have larger periods.

Satellites at the same orbit can have different periods: those with larger masses with have smaller periods.

Answer 1

Correct options are:

Satellites of different masses will have the same speed as long as they are on the same orbit.

Satellite at different orbits will have different periods.

Consider a satellite of mass m orbiting around a body of mass M. The gravitational force of the body provides the centripetal force necessary for circular motion of the satellite

The mass of the satellite is cancelled from both sides

The speed of satellite in orbit depends only on the radius of the orbit and the mass of the body it is orbiting. It does not depend on the mass of the satellite. Therefore, satellites of different masses will have the same speed, as long as they are on the same orbit.

The option satellites at different orbits will have different periods can be justified using the Kepler's law of periods. It says that the square of time period of an orbit is directly proportional to the cube of the radius of the orbit.

Therefore, satellites at different orbits will have different periods.