Final answer:
The centripetal force exerted on a satellite orbiting Earth can be calculated using the formula F = m × v^2 / r. After inserting the values for mass (915 kg), velocity (7280 m/s), and the orbit radius (7520km converted to meters), we can compute the force maintaining the satellite's circular orbit.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the centripetal force exerted on the satellite, we will use the formula for centripetal force, which is F = m × v2 / r, where F is the centripetal force, m is the mass of the satellite, v is the velocity of the satellite, and r is the radius of the circular path. Given the Earth's radius R_e is 6380 km and the satellite orbits 1140 km above Earth's surface, the total radius r of the satellite's orbit is R_e + 1140 km, which needs to be converted to meters for consistency with the velocity unit. Therefore, r = (6380 km + 1140 km) × 1000 = 7520 × 1000 meters.
The given mass of the satellite m is 915 kg, and the velocity v is 7280 m/s, so plugging these values into the formula, we get:
F = 915 kg × (7280 m/s)2 / (7520000 m) = F
After performing the calculation, we would get the numerical value for the centripetal force, which is what keeps the satellite in its circular orbit around the Earth.