If the angular velocity of a planet about its own axis is halved, the distance of geostationary satellite of this planet from the center of the planet will become
Correct Answer :
2⁰.⁶⁶⁷
Solution :
The correct answer is 2⁰.⁶⁶⁷ times the original distance.
Let's understand the relation between the orbital radius of a geostationary satellite and the angular velocity of the planet.
A geostationary satellite orbits the planet with an orbital period equal to the rotation period of the planet about its own axis. Thus, the angular velocity of the satellite's orbit () is equal to the angular velocity of the planet's rotation.
For a satellite of mass orbiting a planet of mass at a distance from the center of the planet, the gravitational force provides the necessary centripetal force:
Simplifying this equation for the orbital radius :
This gives:
Let the initial angular velocity be and the initial distance be .
The new angular velocity is halved:
Using the proportionality relation, the new distance is given by:
Substituting :
Since , we have:
Therefore, the new distance of the geostationary satellite from the center of the planet will become 2⁰.⁶⁶⁷ times the original distance.
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