Question

At what distance from the Earth’s surface is a 10,000 kg satellite if its potential energy is equal to –5.58 x 1011 J? (choose the closest answer)

A 958 km

B 858.km

C 758 km

D 658 km

Answer 1

Option D

Step-by-step explanation:

As we know

Gravitational Constant (G)
`= 6.67*10^(11)`

Mass of Earth (M)
`= 5.98*10^(24)`

Weight of satellite (m)
`= 10,000` Kg

Radius of Earth (R) =
`6.378*10^6`

Distance of satellite from Earth =
`(GMm)/(R) - U`

Substituting the given values, we get

`D=((-((6.67*10^(11))(5.98*10^(24))(10000)))/((6.378*10^6)) - (-5.58*10^(11))\\\\0.625*10^(3)`Km

or 635 m

The correct answer is option D