Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Physical Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Physical Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Diagram 1.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/science/gravitation-physical-process
Satellites that orbit closer to Earth move faster than satellites that orbit farther away. As the distance from Earth increases, satellites take longer to complete one orbit.
Gravity is an attractive force that acts between all objects with mass. For satellites orbiting Earth, gravity is the force that pulls the satellite toward Earth and keeps it from flying off into space. The strength of this gravitational attraction depends on the mass of Earth and the distance between Earth and the satellite.
Earth has a very large mass, so it exerts a strong gravitational pull on nearby objects. However, this pull becomes weaker as distance increases. Satellites that are closer to Earth experience a stronger gravitational attraction, which causes them to move faster to stay in orbit. Satellites that are farther away experience a weaker gravitational pull and therefore move more slowly.
Scientists study satellite motion by collecting data about orbital distance, orbital speed, and orbital period. These measurements show clear patterns. Low-Earth-orbit satellites complete an orbit in about 90 minutes, while satellites much farther away can take many hours or even days to complete one orbit. These differences provide evidence that gravity depends on distance.
In satellite orbits, the interaction is clearly attractive because Earth’s gravity continually pulls the satellite inward. If gravity were not attractive, satellites would move in straight lines and leave Earth’s orbit.
Diagram 2.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_satellite
By comparing data from satellites at different distances, students can see that increasing distance reduces the effect of gravity. This explains why satellites farther from Earth move more slowly and take longer to orbit. These patterns provide strong evidence that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the distance between interacting objects.
Table 1.
Orbit Type | Distance from Earth (km) | Orbital Speed (km/s) | Orbital Period (hours) | Change in Period from Lowest (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LEO | 2000 | 7.2 | 1.5 | 0 |
MEO | 20000 | 3.9 | 12 | 10.5 |
GEO | 35786 | 3.1 | 24 | 22.5 |
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Graph of Information - Figure 2.
Using the reading, explain why satellites closer to Earth must move faster to stay in orbit.
Which statement best describes the pattern shown in Table 1?
Using Table 1, describe how orbital period changes as the distance from Earth increases from LEO to GEO.
Which conclusion is best supported by Figures 1 and 2?
How does the data show that satellites farther from Earth experience a smaller change in motion over the same amount of time?
A student claims: “Gravity keeps satellites in orbit, and satellites farther from Earth move more slowly because gravitational force decreases with distance.” Do you agree or disagree? Use evidence from the data to support your answer.
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning: