Question 5: The gravitational force acting on a satellite is always directed towards the center of the earth. Does this force exert torque on the satellite?
Answer
The gravitational force acting on the satellite is given by
F= (GMem)/r2 ————- (A)
Where Me is mass of the earth.
m is mass of the satellite.
r is the distance of the satellite from the earth.
G is the gravitational constant = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2/kg2
This force provides the centripetal force keeping the satellite in its orbit. The torque is given by the equation.
![sq4](https://mashalscienceacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sq4.png)
Now the force applied on the satellite given in equation (A) is directed to the center of the earth. Such forces are called central forces. Both r and F have the same line of action and the the sine value is zero. Therefore, this force produces no torque.
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