Binding energy of a satellite is the energy required to separate it from Earth’s gravitational field.
Class 11 Physics
Gravitation
CBSE EXAM 2024-25
What do you mean by binding energy of a satellite ? Write an expression for it.
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The binding energy of a satellite is the energy required for it to escape its orbit around the Earth and move to infinity.
The total energy of a satellite in orbit is given by:
E = – GMm/2r.
where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the Earth, m is the mass of the satellite, and r is the orbital radius.
To escape to infinity, the satellite must be provided with additional energy equal to:
+ GMm/2r
This additional energy ensures that the total energy E becomes zero, allowing the satellite to escape Earth’s gravitational pull.
Thus, the binding energy of a satellite is:
Binding energy = GMm/2r.