IB skill practice

Analyse circular motion in gravitational fields

Paper 1, Paper 2 5 marks Difficulty 4

Centripetal acceleration in orbit

A satellite in a charged-particle beam tube moves at \(8620\,\text{m s}^{-1}\) in an orbit of radius \(7.3\times10^{6}\,\text{m}\). Calculate centripetal acceleration. Use the diagram labels before calculating the requested value. Enter the numerical result and choose the interpretation that matches the field physics.

Worked practice: physics data and result

Read the physical quantities first, then calculate the result and state what it means.