Suppose a satellite orbits the earth so closely that it experiences some drag due to the earth's upper atmosphere. This will drain away some of the orbital energy of this system, converting it to thermal energy. If this happens fairly slowly, the satellite's orbit will remain nearly circular. What happens to the radius of this satellite's orbit as time passes in this case?
A) It slowly decreases.
B) It remains the same: just the satellite's speed decreases.
C) It slowly increases.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The satellite's orbit radius decreases because as it loses orbital energy due to atmospheric drag, it must move closer to Earth to maintain a nearly circular orbit. This is a consequence of the conservation of angular momentum and energy dissipation.

Suppose a Satellite Orbits the Earth So Closely That It