A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. What is the angular momentu
Practice Questions
Q1
A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. What is the angular momentum of the satellite if its mass is m, its orbital radius is r, and its orbital speed is v?
mv^2/r
mvr
mr^2
mv
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. What is the angular momentum of the satellite if its mass is m, its orbital radius is r, and its orbital speed is v?
Step 1: Understand what angular momentum is. Angular momentum is a measure of how much motion an object has when it is moving in a circular path.
Step 2: Identify the variables involved. We have three important variables: the mass of the satellite (m), the radius of its orbit (r), and its speed (v).
Step 3: Recall the formula for angular momentum. The formula for angular momentum (L) in circular motion is L = mvr.
Step 4: Plug in the values. To find the angular momentum, you multiply the mass (m) of the satellite by its orbital speed (v) and the radius (r) of its orbit.
Step 5: Write the final expression. The angular momentum of the satellite is L = mvr.
Angular Momentum – Angular momentum is a measure of the rotational motion of an object, calculated as the product of its mass, velocity, and the radius of its circular path.
Circular Motion – In circular motion, an object moves along a circular path, and its angular momentum depends on its speed and distance from the center of rotation.