A satellite is orbiting the Earth in such a manner that the satellite is always straight above India and is at a height of 36000 km. Which of the following is true? (A) Its period of rotation is 24 hours (B) Its period of revolution is 24 hours (C) Its period of rotation is 36 hours (D) Its period of revolution is 36 hours
Answer (1)
In this scenario, the satellite is described as being always directly above a certain point on Earth (over India), meaning it is a geostationary satellite. Geostationary satellites orbit the Earth at a height of approximately 36,000 kilometers above the equator and have a period of revolution that exactly matches the Earth's rotation period.
Here's a step-by-step explanation:
Geostationary Satellites : These satellites orbit the Earth at about 36,000 kilometers above the equator. They appear to be stationary relative to a point on Earth because their orbital period is the same as the Earth's rotational period.
Period of Revolution : Since the satellite remains stationary relative to the Earth's surface, its period of revolution must be 24 hours. This means the satellite completes one full orbit around the Earth in the same time it takes the Earth to make one complete rotation on its axis.
Why 24 Hours? : The Earth takes approximately 24 hours to rotate once around its axis. Therefore, for the satellite to remain in the same position relative to the surface, it must orbit the Earth in the same time frame.
Therefore, the correct statement is:
(B) Its period of revolution is 24 hours.
This ensures that the satellite remains continuously over the same geographic location, which is essential for many applications such as weather monitoring and telecommunications.
