Consider some some satellite of mass m around earth, traveling in an elliptical orbit about a focus (earth). Let's suppose at one point A the satellite is a distance a units away the focus at minimum distance, and at another point B it is at a distance of b from the focus, a maximum distance. Let points A and B be collinear with the center of the Earth. When the satellite is at a distance of a, it's speed is equal to v0.
Calculate the speed of at the satellite a distance b from the focus.
So first I approached this by the conversion of mechanical energy:
12mv20−Gmema=12mv2b−Gmemb
I got,
vb=√v20+2Gme(1b−1a)
But then I realized conservation of angular momentum gives,
mvbb=mv0a
vb=abv0
I don't see how the two can be equivalent. Is one answer wrong? May someone please explain.
Answer
The semi-major axis equals to a+b2 where $a
v2=2GM(1r−1a+b)
At perigee (r=a),
va=√2GMba(a+b)
At apogee (r=b),
vb=√2GMab(a+b)
Both total energy and angular momentum are conserved.
See the link here for further information.
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