Exam-style question
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What is the relationship between orbital radius and orbital speed for a satellite in a circular orbit?.
- A.Orbital speed increases with increasing orbital radius
- B.Orbital speed decreases with increasing orbital radius
- C.Orbital speed is independent of orbital radius
- D.Orbital speed is directly proportional to the square of the orbital radius
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- Orbital speed decreases with increasing orbital radius
Explanation
Why this works
According to the formula for orbital speed, v = √(GM/r), where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the central body, and r is the orbital radius. As the radius increases, the speed decreases, demonstrating the inverse relationship.
Common mistake
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