A satellite is orbiting the Earth at a constant altitude. What happens to the gravitational field st

JAMB Physics 2023 221 views
Source: JAMB · 2023

A satellite is orbiting the Earth at a constant altitude. What happens to the gravitational field strength of the Earth as the satellite moves away from the Earth?

  1. The gravitational field strength increases.
  2. The gravitational field strength decreases. ✓
  3. The gravitational field strength remains constant.
  4. The gravitational field strength depends on the mass of the satellite.
Explanation

Gravitational field strength follows g = GM ÷ r². As the distance r from the Earth’s centre grows, r² grows and g gets smaller.

So the field strength decreases. The satellite’s own mass does not affect the Earth’s field.

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