A telecommunication satellite is to be placed in a geostationary orbit to support global communications. Which of the following statements correctly describes the physical conditions or parameters required for this orbit?
The satellite has zero centripetal acceleration because it remains stationary relative to an observer on the Earth's surface.
The orbital radius rrr from the Earth's centre is given by r=(GMT24π2)1/3r = \left(\frac{G M T^2}{4 \pi^2}\right)^{1/3}r=(4π2GMT2)1/3, requiring an altitude of approximately 3.6×107 m3.6 \times 10^7\text{ m}3.6×107 m above the Earth's surface.
The satellite must orbit from East to West to remain in a fixed position relative to the Earth's surface.
The orbital plane can be inclined at any angle to the equator, as long as the orbital period is exactly 12 hours.
27 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Physics Beyond Earth. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.