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11th grade Satellites: orbital speed and period worksheet

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Satellites: orbital speed and period

Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. Earth's GM is 398,600 km³/s² and its radius is 6371 km. For a model satellite 400 km up, inside the ISS's range, what is the period in minutes, to the nearest tenth, Ari?

  2. Earth's GM is 398,600 km³/s² and its radius is 6371 km. For a model satellite in a high test orbit 2000 km up, what is the period in minutes, to the nearest tenth, Esme?

  3. Read this first

    Circular orbits around Earth, worked out from Earth's GM (computed from NASA's GM)

    Height (km)Speed (km/s)Period (min)
    6007.5696.5
    15007.12115.8
    100004.93347.4
    357863.071435.7

  4. Using the table, how do speed and period change as the height goes up, Jun?

    • Both stay about the same
    • Speed falls and the period grows
    • Speed rises and the period grows

  5. Using the table, at which height does one orbit take about one day, Kira?

    • 600 km
    • 35,786 km
    • 10,000 km

  6. Milo says a satellite must go faster to stay in a higher circular orbit. Agree or disagree?

    • Agree: it has to fight more gravity up there
    • Disagree: higher circular orbits are slower
    • Agree: a bigger circle needs more speed

  7. Noah says the Moon moves faster than the ISS because its orbit is much bigger. Agree or disagree?

    • Agree: bigger orbits need higher speeds
    • Agree: the Moon is heavier
    • Disagree: the ISS is about 7.5 times as fast

  8. Pia says there is no gravity at the ISS's height. Agree or disagree?

    • Disagree: g there is still about 8.5–8.8 N/kg
    • Agree: things float there, so gravity there is zero
    • Agree: gravity stops above the air

  9. A model satellite moves from an orbit 1000 km up to one 2000 km up. How do its speed and period change, Ren?

    • Speed falls; period grows
    • Both grow
    • Speed rises; period falls

  10. Why does draw a line from thin air make the ISS's orbit shrink over time, Tala?

    • Drag pushes it outward
    • Drag adds energy
    • Drag takes away energy, so it sinks lower

  11. The ISS takes about 92 minutes per orbit at 370 km and 94 at 460 km. Why is its period given as a range, Zee?

    • The ISS keeps changing its mass
    • Its height changes, so its period changes too
    • Clocks on the ISS run unevenly
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11th grade Satellites: orbital speed and period worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Satellites: orbital speed and period. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can explain an orbit. Gravity pulls toward Earth's center while the satellite's sideways speed carries it around, so it falls without landing; things inside the ISS float because they fall together.
  • I can find orbital speed, v = √(GM ÷ r), and period, T = 2π√(r³ ÷ GM), with r measured from Earth's center, using NASA's GM = 398,600 km³/s².
  • I can say that lower orbits are faster and shorter. The ISS (370–460 km) moves at about 7.6–7.7 km/s and takes about 92–94 min; the Moon moves at 1.022 km/s and takes 27.32 days.

Standard: HS-PS2-4, HS-ESS1-4

Words to know

orbit: The curved path of one body around another

orbital speed: The speed a body needs to stay in a circular orbit

period: The time for one full orbit

GM: Earth's mass times G: 398,600 km³/s²

reboost: An engine burn that raises a sinking orbit

Common mistakes

Your child divided hours instead of minutes. A day has 24 × 60 = 1440 minutes.

Your child thought there is no gravity in orbit. Gravity at the ISS's height is still close to the surface value; things float because they fall together.

Your child thought higher orbits are faster. Gravity is weaker farther out, so a higher circular orbit is slower and takes longer.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with satellites: orbital speed and period?

Your child divided hours instead of minutes. A day has 24 × 60 = 1440 minutes.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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