A satellite is orbiting the earth.If a payload of material is added until it doubles the satellite's mass,the earth's pull of gravity on this satellite will double but the satellite's orbit will not be affected.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The satellite's orbit is determined by its velocity, distance from the earth, and the force of gravity acting upon it. Doubling the mass of the satellite will result in a doubled force of gravity acting upon it, but since the distance and velocity remain the same, the orbit will not be affected.

A Satellite Is Orbiting the Earth