What is the effect of increasing the mass of a satellite on its orbital radius i

What is the effect of increasing the mass of a satellite on its orbital radius if the orbital speed is to remain constant?

What is the effect of increasing the mass of a satellite on its orbital radius if the orbital speed is to remain constant?

Step 1: Understand that a satellite orbits a planet due to the balance between gravitational force and centripetal force.
Step 2: Recognize that gravitational force depends on the mass of the satellite and the mass of the planet, as well as the distance between them.
Step 3: Know that centripetal force is related to the speed of the satellite and its distance from the planet.
Step 4: If we want to keep the orbital speed constant while increasing the mass of the satellite, we need to adjust the distance (orbital radius).
Step 5: Increasing the mass of the satellite means that the gravitational force acting on it increases.
Step 6: To maintain the same orbital speed, the satellite must move further away from the planet, which means increasing the orbital radius.
Step 7: Therefore, if the mass of the satellite increases, the orbital radius must also increase to keep the speed constant.

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