Non-Circular Orbits Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

For a stable orbit, what must change if the orbital speed changes?

The radius of the orbit.

If a satellite is to orbit stably at a faster speed, what must happen to its orbital radius?

It must decrease — faster stable orbits have smaller radii.

How does the speed of a satellite in a stable orbit compare when the orbital radius is larger?

It is slower — the larger the radius, the slower the orbital speed.

True or false? A satellite in a higher stable orbit travels faster than one in a lower stable orbit.

False. A larger orbital radius means a slower orbital speed.