I have a question about the following task: A satellite is 500km above the surface of the earth. The average earthradius is 6371km and it takes the satellite T=120 minutes to circle around the earth. Determine the centripetal acceleration.
What is the correct answer in g with 9.81 m/s² ?

Question

I have a question about the following task: A satellite is 500km above the surface of the earth. The average earthradius is 6371km and it takes the satellite T=120 minutes to circle around the earth. Determine the centripetal acceleration. 
What is the correct answer in g with 9.81 m/s² ?

anonymous · Answer

You have to use the formula a=v^2/R where v-> the velocity of the satellite and R-> the radius of the earth.After that is quite easy, you transform units into the appropriate ones on SI.And you solve th formula. (i found approximately a=5m/s^2 but i don't know if it is correct since i rounded a lot).

anonymous · Answer

Yeah, it's about 5.23 m/s². In g it would be about 0.53 g but my lecturer has given us the answer, that a=0,77g. So I wasn't sure if I made a mistake. So we are right, he's wrong :D Thank you for your support :)

anonymous · Answer

Nothing, I am glad to help :)

vincent-lyon.fr · Answer

There was a mistake in infinity's statement:

In the formula a = v² / r, then r is the radius of the satellite's orbit, not the radius R of the Earth.

Here, r would be: r = 6371 + 500 = 6871 km