The orbital velocity of a satellite is the minimum velocity required to put the satellite into a given orbit around earth. The orbital Velocity formula is referred to as the formula required to calculate the velocity of a body that revolves around another body.
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Orbital velocity Formula
The orbital velocity formula is given as:
Vorb = √GMR
- G = Gravitational Constant
- M = Mass of the Body at Centre
- R = Radius of the Orbit
Orbital velocity Formula Derivation
The gravitational force between the earth and the satellite is given as:
Fg = (G.M.m)/r2 —- (1)
The centripetal force acting on the satellite is given as:
Fc = mvorb 2/r —— (2)
In the above equations, m is the mass of the satellite, and M is the mass of the earth.
vorb is the linear velocity of the satellite
r = R + h
R is the radius of the earth and h is the height of the satellite
Fg = Fc
(G.M.m)/r2 = mvorb 2/r
vorb = √GMR
Factors Affecting Orbital Velocity
- Mass of the planet
- Distance of satellite from the surface of the planet
- The radius of the planet
| Orbital velocity definition | Orbital velocity is the velocity required for a natural or artificial satellite to remain in orbit. |
| Orbital velocity Formula | Vorbit = √GMR |
| SI unit of orbital velocity | meter per second |
Important Points
- The minimum velocity that a body must maintain in order to remain in orbit is known as orbital velocity. The body tends to move in a straight line due to its inertia, while gravitational force tends to pull it down. Thus, the orbital path, whether elliptical or circular, represents a balance of gravity and inertia.
- The orbital velocity of a satellite is the minimum velocity required to put the satellite into a given orbit around earth.
- The orbital velocity of any planet can be calculated with the known mass M and radius R. It is measured in meters per second (m/s).
- The orbital speed of a planet varies with its distance from the Sun. The stronger the Sun’s gravitational pull on a planet, and the faster it moves, the closer it is to the Sun. The greater the distance between it and the Sun, the weaker the Sun’s gravitational pull, and the slower it moves in its orbit.
- The average orbital speed of the Earth is 30 kilometres per second (km/s), or 1812 miles per second (mi/s).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Escape velocity is the minimum velocity required for a moving body (such as a rocket) to escape a celestial body’s gravitational field and move outward into space.
The higher the orbit (the greater the distance between the planet and the satellite), the slower the satellite must travel to avoid falling out of orbit and colliding with the planet. The closer the orbit, the faster it must move to avoid colliding with the planet.
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