A satellite in orbit is not truly traveling through a vacuum--it is moving through very thin air. does the resulting air friction cause the satellite to slow down?
2007-10-02 13:37:27 · 4 answers · asked by back2back 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Yes!
but
It is very close to vacuum ....and the air friction is negligible. Satelites however are lunched sufficiently high . The geostationary orbit for example is about 35,000 km. There is no air there.
2007-10-02 13:40:29 · answer #1 · answered by Edward 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
check air density at altitude Y of the satellite. Then check the velocity profile of the satellite, which probably isn't designed to be aerodynamic. Then calculate the velocity of the satellite at altitude Y and gravitatinal accel. (dist. is great enough that you have to take that into account)
If you've gotten this far, then great job.
Otherwise, just say no.
A satellite in a stable orbit, its "fall" rate is a const. speed, so in essence net forces equal zero. if net forces equal zero, there is no "slow down" effect.
2007-10-02 13:46:16 · answer #2 · answered by Kevin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
satellite is in the orbit, which means that it has enough energy to go around the earth but don't have enough energy for escape velocity.
there might be small air friction.
but the gravitational force from the earth to the satellite is bigger
that's why we dnt have to care about the speed when it is in the right orbit
2007-10-02 13:40:53 · answer #3 · answered by Crazy CAT 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
force is a push or pull exerted on an object that causes a change in motion; has both direction and magnitude and may be a contact or field.
In this case it is a contact force causing it to slow down
so YES
contact force is the result from a physical contact between two objects and in this case it is air
2007-10-02 13:44:59 · answer #4 · answered by johnnyboy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋