Question

Orbits of Satellites Quick Check
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Question
Which factor is not needed when calculating the velocity of a satellite orbiting a planet?(1 point)
Responses

the mass of the satellite
the mass of the satellite

the universal gravitational constant
the universal gravitational constant

the mass of the planet
the mass of the planet

the orbital radius of the satellite
the orbital radius of the satellite
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Answer 1

When calculating the velocity of a satellite orbiting a planet, the factor that is **not needed** is **the mass of the satellite**.

The formula for the orbital velocity \( v \) of a satellite is given by:

\[
v = \sqrt{\frac{G \cdot M}{r}}
\]

where:
- \( G \) is the universal gravitational constant,
- \( M \) is the mass of the planet,
- \( r \) is the orbital radius (distance from the center of the planet to the satellite).

As you can see, the mass of the satellite does not appear in this equation, so it is not needed for the calculation of orbital velocity.