Question

Figure shows an artificial satellite revolving round the earth. a. What type of a motion is this? b. Name the force that keeps the satellite in its path. c. What is the direction of velocity and acceleration? d. If the satellite moves with constant speed, will it have constant velocity?

Answer 1

a) The type of motion done by the satellite is uniform circular motion as it is moving in circular orbit.

b) Gravitational force keeps the satellite in its path

c) The velocity of the satellite is always changing. and thus the direction of velocity is tangential to its circular path.

Now,the direction of the satellite's acceleration is perpendicular to its velocity or towards the centre of the earth because acceleration depends upon velocity thus its direction will be simply perpendicular to the direction of velocity.

d) Speed doesn't depends upon direction but velocity does and even if the speed will be constant it doesn't mean direction will be too, as direction will be constantly changing due to circular orbit, velocity cannot be constant. $\;$