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Orbit Launcher

Fire a satellite sideways. Find the speed, the lap time and the energy of its orbit.

Physics · Class 11 · Satellites and orbits · 9 simulations. For JEE, NEET and your boards.

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What you'll learn

  1. Skim the ground: A circle: the pull gives exactly mv²/r
  2. Float in orbit: Weightless is not gravity-free
  3. Higher is slower: Orbit speed falls as 1/√r
  4. One lap at h = R: Lap time: T = 2πr / v, with v = √(GM/r)
  5. Stay over one city: Geostationary: one lap each day
  6. Set it free: Binding energy: E = −GMm/2r
  7. Fill the bars: On a circle: K = −E and U = 2E
  8. Climb to a higher orbit: Changing orbits: ΔE = GMm/2 × (1/r₁ − 1/r₂)
  9. Spin of a high orbit: Angular momentum of an orbit: L = m√(GMr)