A satellite is orbiting Earth in a circular pattern. What is true about its velocity at any moment?

Question

It is tangent to Earth.

It is pointing directly away from Earth.

It is directed toward Earth.

It is pointing toward Earth.

Answer 1

The correct statement about the velocity of a satellite orbiting Earth in a circular pattern is:

It is tangent to Earth.

In orbital mechanics, the velocity of a satellite in circular orbit is always directed tangentially to its path of motion. This means the satellite's velocity vector is perpendicular to the radius drawn from the center of the Earth to the satellite at any point in its orbit.