Why do satellites not come falling down to Earth due to gravity?
Correct answer: C. They are continually falling towards Earth but move forward fast enough to maintain a stable orbit
- A. The gravitational pull of the Sun counteracts Earth's gravity, keeping satellites in orbit
- B. The balance between gravitational pull and centrifugal force keeps satellites in their orbit
- C. They are continually falling towards Earth but move forward fast enough to maintain a stable orbit
- D. They rely on onboard propulsion systems to stay in orbit
Explanation
Satellites remain in orbit due to the interplay between their velocity and Earth's gravitational pull. They are in a state of continuous free fall towards Earth due to gravity. However, their horizontal velocity is so high that they keep missing Earth, resulting in an orbit.Option A incorrectly attributes the Sun's gravitational pull as a balancing factor, which is not the case. Option B mentions centrifugal force, which is a fictitious force when viewed from a rotating frame and not applicable here.Option C correctly identifies that satellites are always falling towards Earth, but their forward velocity keeps them in orbit. Option D mistakenly attributes the use of propulsion systems for maintaining orbit, which is not necessary for stable orbiting due to the satellite's initial velocity.
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About Scientific Reasoning
Scientific reasoning evaluates hypotheses through observations, variables, controls, measurements and experimental results. Questions involve identifying independent and dependent variables, recognising a fair test, interpreting tables or graphs, distinguishing evidence from opinion, and deciding whether data supports, rejects or leaves a hypothesis unresolved.
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