A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. What happens to its gravita

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Question: A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. What happens to its gravitational potential energy as it moves to a higher orbit?

Options:

Correct Answer: It increases.

Solution:

As the satellite moves to a higher orbit, its distance from the Earth increases, leading to an increase in gravitational potential energy.

A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. What happens to its gravitational potential energy as it moves to a higher orbit?

A satellite is in a circular orbit around the Earth. What happens to its gravitational potential energy as it moves to a higher orbit?

Step 1: Understand that a satellite orbits the Earth due to gravity.
Step 2: Recognize that gravitational potential energy depends on the distance from the Earth.
Step 3: Note that as the satellite moves to a higher orbit, it gets farther away from the Earth.
Step 4: Realize that increasing distance from the Earth means the gravitational potential energy increases.
Step 5: Conclude that the satellite's gravitational potential energy increases as it moves to a higher orbit.

Gravitational Potential Energy – The energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field, which increases with distance from the mass exerting the gravitational force.
Orbital Mechanics – The study of the motion of objects in orbit, including the effects of gravitational forces on their trajectories.