Question: One way to attack a satellite in Earth orbit is to launch a swarm of pellets in the same orbit as the satellite but in

One way to attack a satellite in Earth orbit is to launch a swarm of pellets in the same orbit as the satellite but in the opposite direction. Suppose a satellite in a circular orbit 500 km above Earth's surface collides with a pellet having mass 4.0 g

(a) What is the kinetic energy of the pellet in the reference frame of the satellite just before the collision?

(b) What is the ratio of this kinetic energy to the kinetic energy of a 4.0 g bullet from a modern army rifle with a muzzle speed of 950 m/s?

Step by Step Solution

3.52 Rating (155 Votes )

There are 3 Steps involved in it

1 Expert Approved Answer
Step: 1 Unlock

a The pellets will have the same speed v but opposite direction of motion so ... View full answer

blur-text-image
Question Has Been Solved by an Expert!

Get step-by-step solutions from verified subject matter experts

Step: 2 Unlock
Step: 3 Unlock

Document Format (1 attachment)

Word file Icon

2-P-M-U-G (364).docx

120 KBs Word File

Students Have Also Explored These Related Mechanics Questions!