Question

With respect to a satellite going around the earth in an orbit, which of the following statements is wrong?

• A. It is a freely falling body
• B. It suffers no acceleration
• C. It is moving with a constant speed
• D. Its angular momentum remains constant

Answer 1

The correct option is B It suffers no acceleration

For any body moving around the Earth, the speed remains constant with time but the direction changes, hence the velocity changes. As the velocity keeps on changing, the body cannot have zero acceleration. Also, the centripetal force acting on the body is equal to the gravitational pull of teh Earth. Under the influence of acceleration due to gravity, the body can be said to be in a state of free fall.