A geostationary satellite orbits the earth at a height of nearly 36,000 km from the surface of earth . What is the potential due to earth.s gravity at the site of this satellite ? (Take the potential energy at infinity to be zero). Mass of the earth =6.0xx10^24 kg, radius = 6400 km, G=6.67xx10^(-11) Nm^2//kg^2

A geostationary satellite orbits the earth at a height of nearly 36,00

1.	A geostationary satellite orbits the earth at a height of nearly 36,000 km from the surface of earth . What is the potential due to earth.s gravity at the site of this satellite ? (Take the potential energy at infinity to be zero). Mass of the earth =6.0xx10^24 kg, radius = 6400 km, G=6.67xx10^(-11) Nm^2//kg^2
Answer» Solution :Gravititional potential at height h from the SURFACE of EARTH is `V=-(GM)/(R+h)` `=(-6.67xx10^(-11) XX (6xx10^24))/((6.4xx10^6+36xx10^6))=-9.4xx10^6` J/kg.