Question Details

A satellite is moving around the earth with speed v in a circular orbit of radius r. If the orbit radius is decreased by 1%, its speed will

Options

A

Increase by 1%

B

Increase by 0.5%

C

Decrease by 1%

D

Decrease by 0.5%

Correct Answer :

Increase by 0.5%

Solution :

The correct option is: Increase by 0.5%

Step-by-Step Derivation and Explanation:

1. Recall the formula for orbital speed:
A satellite of mass m orbiting the Earth of mass M in a circular orbit of radius r experiences a gravitational force that provides the necessary centripetal force for its circular motion.
The equation is:
mv2r=GMmr2
Solving for the orbital speed v, we get:
v=GMr
where G is the universal gravitational constant and M is the mass of the Earth.

2. Express the relationship using proportionality:
Since G and M are constants, the orbital speed v is inversely proportional to the square root of the orbit radius r:
vr-1/2

3. Use the approximation for small percentage changes:
Taking the natural logarithm on both sides of v=(GM)1/2r-1/2, we get:
ln(v)=12ln(GM)-12ln(r)
Differentiating both sides to find the fractional change, we obtain:
dvv=-12drr
Multiplying by 100 to express this in percentage terms:
(dvv×100)=-12(drr×100)

4. Substitute the given values:
We are given that the orbit radius is decreased by 1%, which means:
drr×100=-1%
Substituting this value into our percentage change equation:
(dvv×100)=-12(-1%)=+0.5%

5. Conclusion:
A positive sign indicates an increase. Therefore, if the orbit radius decreases by 1%, the speed of the satellite will increase by 0.5%.

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