2007-02-06 11:43:35 · 3 answers · asked by Ariana 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Inertia makes a satellite want to move off in a straight line. Throw a rock straight out ahead of you. Not up and out, but straight out. In the absence of gravity it would fly off in a straight line forever. But gravity pulls it down, so it takes a curving path to hit the ground. If you throw the rock faster, it goes farther before gravity has time to pull it down. It curves less sharply toward the ground. If you throw it fast enough, the curve of its path matches the curve of the Earth's surface and it never hits the ground. It is in orbit.
2007-02-06 11:52:53 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Inertia will keep an object moving at the same speed unless altered by an outside force. Gravity is the constant outside force that changes a sattelite's movement into a circle. The inertial energy of the moving sattelite exactly matches the force of gravity. If you increase the speed or decrease the gravity (or both), the sattelite will climb to a higher orbit and the forces will balance out again. If you decrease the speed or increase the gravity, it will fall into a lower orbit. If the orbit is below ground level, it will crash, which is what most things do if you don't throw them fast enough.
2007-02-06 12:13:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a yo yo on a string if you swing it around your head gavity is the string enertia is what keeps it from hitting you in the face.
2007-02-10 07:01:47 · answer #3 · answered by Tony N 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋