Consider a small satellite moving in a circular orbit (radius r) about a spherical planet (mass M). The period does not depend upon
A) the radius r.
B) the planet mass.
C) g at the satellite position.
D) the universal gravitational constant.
E) the satellite mass.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The period of a satellite in a circular orbit depends on the radius of the orbit and the mass of the planet it orbits, but not on the mass of the satellite itself. This is because the gravitational force acting on the satellite, which determines its orbit, depends on the mass of the planet and the distance from the planet, but the satellite's mass cancels out when calculating its orbital period using Kepler's third law or Newton's version of Kepler's law.

Consider a Small Satellite Moving in a Circular Orbit (Radius