A spacecraft is coasting toward Mars. The mass of Mars is 6.4×103kg and its radius is 3400km(3.4×106m). When the spacecraft is 7000km(7×106m) from the center of Mars, the spacecraft's speed is 3000m/s . Later, when the spacecraft is (4000km4×106m from the center of Mars, what is its speed? Assume that the effects of Mar's two tiny moons, the other planets, and the Sun are negligible. Precision is required to land on Mars, so make an accurate calculation, not a rough, approximate calculation.

Short Answer

Expert verified

The speed of a spacecraft is3000m/s

Step by step solution

01

Identification of given data

- The mass of Mars is M=6.4×103kg

- The radius of Mars is 3.4×106m

- The initial distance of spacecraft is di=7×10bm

- The final distance of spacecraft is df=4×106m

- The spacecraft's initial speed is vi=3000m/s

- The spacecraft's initial speed is vf

- The mass of a satellite is m

02

Concept of Principle of Energy Conservation

The principle of energy conservation states that, the addition of initial kinetic and potential energy is equal to the addition of final potential and kinetic energy. The expression will be, Pi+Ki=Pf+Kt(1)

03

Determination of the speed of a satellite

The potential energy and kinetic energy is conserved for the system, From Equation (1), we can get the expression for speed.

-GMmdi+12mvi2=-GMmdf+12mvf2

-GMdi+12vi2=-GMdf+12vf2

vf=2-GMdi+12vi2+GMdf(2)

( where, G=Gravitational constant =6.67×10-11m3/kg·s2)

Substitute the values of M,di,df,vifrom the given data.

From Equation (2),

vf=2-6.67×10-11m3/kg·s2×6.4×103kg7×106m+12×30002m2s2+6.67×10-11m3/kg·s2×6.4×103kg4×106m

=2-6.67×10-11×6.4×1037×106+12×30002+6.67×10-11×6.4×1034×1061m3/kg·s21m+1m21s2+1m3/kg1m

=2-6.67×1011×6.4×1037×106+12×30002+6.67×1011×6.4×1034×1061m3·1kg·s2·m+1m21s2+1m31kg·s2.

=2-6.67×10-11×6.4×1037×106+12×30002+6.67×10-11×6.4×1034×1061m21s2+1m21s2+1m21s2

=3000m/s

Hence, the speed of a satellite in a circular orbit near the Earth is 3000m/s

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