JEE Main · Physics ↓ Falling

Gravitation appeared 22 times across 3 years — 2.5% of Physics. This question is from Satellite Motion and Orbital Energy.

Year 2026 2025 2024 Total
Questions 5 9 8 22

A satellite of mass 1000kg is launched to revolve around the earth in an orbit at a height of 270km from the earth's surface. Kinetic energy of the satellite in this orbit is \_ \times 10^{10}\mathrm{J}. (Mass of earth= 6\times 10^{24}\mathrm{kg},Radius of earth= 6.4 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{~m}, Gravitational constant= 6.67 \times 10^{-11} \mathrm{Nm}^2 \mathrm{kg}^{-2}$)

Numerical Answer Type:
Enter a numerical value Answer: 3 to 3 +4 marks

Solution & Explanation

Related Formula
  • Orbital speed (v₀) of a satellite at distance r from earth's center:
v₀ = √((G Mₑ)/(r))
  • Orbital Radius:
  • r = Rₑ + h

  • Kinetic Energy of the orbiting satellite:
KE = (1)/(2) m v₀² = (G Mₑ m)/(2(Rₑ + h))
Core Logic

Given parameters:

  • Mass of satellite m = 1000 kg = 10³ kg
  • Orbit altitude h = 270 km = 0.27 × 10⁶ m
  • Earth Radius Rₑ = 6.4 × 10⁶ m
  • Earth Mass Mₑ = 6 × 10²⁴ kg
  • Gravitational constant G = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ N · m² / kg²
Step 1: Calculate kinetic energy

First, compute the orbital radius r:

r = Rₑ + h = 6.4 × 10⁶ m + 0.27 × 10⁶ m = 6.67 × 10⁶ m

Substitute r = 6.67 × 10⁶ m into the kinetic energy equation:

KE = (G Mₑ m)/(2 r) KE = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ × 6 × 10²⁴ × 10³2 × 6.67 × 10⁶

Notice that the value 6.67 cancels out directly:

KE = 6 × 10¹⁶2 × 10⁶ = 3 × 10¹⁰ J

Thus, the kinetic energy coefficient is 3.

Pattern Recognition

Sees: Kinetic energy of a satellite orbiting at an altitude above earth's surface. Trap: Doing long division calculation for 6.67/2. Check for clean cancellations in formulas first! Shortcut: Notice that Rₑ + h = 6.4 × 10⁶ + 0.27 × 10⁶ = 6.67 × 10⁶, which matches the value of the Gravitational constant G = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ perfectly. This clean cancellation leaves behind simple integer math to give 3 × 10¹⁰ ~J immediately.

Chapter Mix

Class 11 Physics: Gravitation

Reference Study Guides

More Gravitation Previous-Year Questions — Page 5

Q46 jee_main_2024_31_jan_evening Escape Velocity
The mass of the moon is 1/144 times the mass of a planet and its diameter 1/16 times the diameter of a planet. If the escape velocity on the planet is v, the escape velocity on the moon will be:
  • A. (v)/(3)
  • B. (v)/(4)
  • C. (v)/(12)
  • D. (v)/(6)

Solution

Related Formula
vescape = √((2GM)/(R))
Core Logic

For the planet: v = √((2GMₚ)/(Rₚ)) For the moon: Mm = (Mₚ)/(144) and Rm = (Rₚ)/(16).

Step 1: Setup the Ratio
vm = √((2G Mm)/(Rm)) vm = √((2G ((Mₚ)/(144)))/(((Rₚ)/(16)))) vm = √((2G Mₚ)/(Rₚ) × (16)/(144))
Step 2: Simplification
vm = √((2G Mₚ)/(Rₚ)) × √((1)/(9)) vm = v × (1)/(3) = (v)/(3)
Pattern Recognition

Escape velocity scales as √(M/R). If M scales by x and R scales by y, velocity scales by √(x/y). Here, √((1/144)/(1/16)) = √(16/144) = √(1/9) = 1/3.

Chapter Mix

Class 11 Physics: Gravitation

Q jee_main_2024_31_jan_morning Superposition Principle
Four identical particles of mass m are kept at the four corners of a square. If the gravitational force exerted on one of the masses by the other masses is ( 2√(2) + 132) Gm²L², the length of the sides of the square is
  • A. L2
  • B. 4 L
  • C. 3L
  • D. 2 L

Solution

Related Formula
F = (G m₁ m₂)/(r²)
Core Logic

Superposition Principle diagram for Q37 - JEE Main 2024 Morning
Superposition Principle diagram for Q37 - JEE Main 2024 Morning

Let the side length of the square be a. Considering one corner mass, it experiences forces from the adjacent two masses (distance a) and the diagonally opposite mass (distance √(2)a).

The forces from the two adjacent masses are at 90^° to each other:

F = (Gm²)/(a²)

The resultant of these two is √(2)F = √(2) (Gm²)/(a²), directed along the diagonal.

Step 2: Total Force Equation

The force from the diagonal mass is:

F' = Gm²(√(2)a)² = (Gm²)/(2a²)

Total resultant force Fₙₑₜ = √(2)F + F':

Fₙₑₜ = √(2) (Gm²)/(a²) + (Gm²)/(2a²) = (Gm²)/(a²) ( √(2) + (1)/(2) ) Fₙₑₜ = (Gm²)/(a²) ( 2√(2) + 12 )

Equating this to the given force value:

( 2√(2) + 132)(Gm²)/(L²) = (Gm²)/(a²) ( 2√(2) + 12 ) (1)/(32 L²) = (1)/(2 a²)

a² = 16 L² a = 4L

Chapter Mix

Class 11 Physics: Gravitation

More Gravitation Questions — jee_main_2025_02_april_evening

Practice all Gravitation previous-year questions →

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