Forces acting upon a satellite?

Question

I was doing my physics revision for a test tomorrow, and one of the questions was whether the forces acting upon a satellite in geostationary orbit were equal or not. The textbook says that they're not, as when a force causes something to change direction it requires constant acceleration. I think that they would be, as it is not a force causing it to change direction, but a combination of the gravitational orbit of the planet and the kinetc energy of the satellite that causes it to curve. My Dad also thinks that they would be balanced, too. Also, where would the satellite be getting acceleration from in the first place?

Best Answer given out as applicable, of course.

Answer 1

Sorry, but you and your dad are wrong. Kinetic energy is not a force.

Essentially there is only one force acting on the satellite... gravity pulling it down to Earth. It doesn't fall though because it has a velocity that is great enough to prevent this from occuring. In otherwords, as the satellite moves forwards it is pulled towards the planet.

If there no forces acting then the satellite would continue in a straight line away from the planet... Newton's First Law of motion. If the satellite did not have this forward motion then it would simply fall to the planet.

The direction of the velocity and force act in such a way that the satellite follows a curved (circular) path around a planet. The fact that the direction changes (and hence velocity changes) tells you that there must be a resultant force acting on the satellite... Newton's Second Law of motion.

The mass of the planet is what provides the force ... a gravitational force.

Answer 2

For a satellite in orbit around a planet, the centripetal force is supplied by the gravitational attraction between the satellite and the planet, and acts toward the center of mass of the two objects.

The satellite has kinetic energy implies that it has some velocity.When the acceleration or force is normal to the direction of velocity, any object will have a curvilinear (Circular)path.

The only force that acts on a satellite is the gravitational attraction force. Therefore there is no question of equal or opposite.

When a single force acts in the direction of velocity the magnitude of the velocity changes, direction of force and velocity coincides.

When a single force acts in the direction perpendicular to the velocity, the direction alone changes, magnitude of velocity remains the same. .

when the force acts in any other direction both magnitude and direction of velocity change.

Answer 3

Gravitation is the place from where the satellite gets its acceleration. This force of gravitation is always perpendicular to the direction of motion in which case only the direction of the velocity changes and not the magnitude (it is accelerating albeit). Any force normal to the direction of motion changes the direction of motion.
The case is very similar to that of a stone tied to string and is being whirled around. Here too the only force is that applied by the string on the stone.

Answer 4

There is essentially only one force acting on a geostationary satelite, gravity causes it to have a curved path rather than continue in a straight line(Newton's Law). The source of your confusion is that you are tacitly assuming that the tendency of the satelite to continue in a straight line is a force acting on it. It is not. The satelite is simply "obeying" Newton's Law.

Answer 5

this is constrained in an elliptical course with advice from mutual gravitational attraction with the sunlight. it extremely is relative to the sunlight, of direction. with advice from no ability might desire to this be defined as "putting upon no longer something". the sunlight, alongside with all its planets, is orbiting the centre of the galaxy at a speed of approximately 225 km/s. The galaxy is likewise shifting relative to distinctive galaxies.

Answer 6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centripetal_force