Question
A satellite is launched from Earth into orbit. What happens to the mass and weight of the satellite?
A.
The mass decreases, but the weight stays constant.
B.
The mass stays constant, but the weight decreases.
C.
The mass stays constant, but the weight increases.
D.
The mass increases, but the weight decreases.
A.
The mass decreases, but the weight stays constant.
B.
The mass stays constant, but the weight decreases.
C.
The mass stays constant, but the weight increases.
D.
The mass increases, but the weight decreases.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is:
**B. The mass stays constant, but the weight decreases.**
When a satellite is launched into orbit, its mass remains the same, as mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and does not change based on location. However, weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity, which decreases as the satellite moves farther from the Earth. While in orbit, the satellite experiences microgravity (or apparent weightlessness) because it is in free fall, even though it still has mass.
**B. The mass stays constant, but the weight decreases.**
When a satellite is launched into orbit, its mass remains the same, as mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and does not change based on location. However, weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity, which decreases as the satellite moves farther from the Earth. While in orbit, the satellite experiences microgravity (or apparent weightlessness) because it is in free fall, even though it still has mass.