Satellites and Kepler’s Laws: An Argument for Simplicity (Problem 49)

AP Physics 1 / Introductory

Gravitation

OS-AP-6-49 · OpenStax College Physics for AP Courses 2e

Satellites and Kepler’s Laws: An Argument for Simplicity (Problem 49)

Unreasonable Results (a) Based on Kepler’s laws and information on the orbital characteristics of the Moon, calculate the orbital radius for an Earth satellite having a period of 1.00 h. (b) What is unreasonable about this result? (c) What is unreasonable or inconsistent about the premise of a 1.00 h orbit? Select the answer to part (a).