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What happens to the gravitational force on a satellite if its altitude is double

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Question: What happens to the gravitational force on a satellite if its altitude is doubled?

Options:

  1. It doubles
  2. It remains the same
  3. It becomes four times weaker
  4. It becomes eight times weaker

Correct Answer: It becomes four times weaker

Solution: 

The gravitational force decreases with the square of the distance from the center of the Earth. If the altitude is doubled, the distance from the center of the Earth becomes R + 2h, and the force becomes weaker by a factor of four.

What happens to the gravitational force on a satellite if its altitude is double

Practice Questions

Q1
What happens to the gravitational force on a satellite if its altitude is doubled?
  1. It doubles
  2. It remains the same
  3. It becomes four times weaker
  4. It becomes eight times weaker

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What happens to the gravitational force on a satellite if its altitude is doubled?
  • Step 1: Understand that gravitational force depends on distance from the center of the Earth.
  • Step 2: Know that the formula for gravitational force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
  • Step 3: If the satellite is at an altitude 'h', the distance from the center of the Earth is 'R + h' (where R is the radius of the Earth).
  • Step 4: If the altitude is doubled, the new altitude is '2h', making the new distance 'R + 2h'.
  • Step 5: The new distance is greater than the original distance, which means the gravitational force will be weaker.
  • Step 6: Since gravitational force decreases with the square of the distance, if the distance is doubled, the force becomes weaker by a factor of four (2 squared).
  • Gravitational Force and Distance – The gravitational force between two masses decreases with the square of the distance between their centers, as described by Newton's law of universal gravitation.
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