Equations
Speed of a circular orbit
Gravitation · id orbital_speed
v = \sqrt{\frac{G M}{r}}
| Symbol | Quantity | Unit | Meaning | Usual range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
v | orbital speed | m/s | Speed of the orbiting body | 0 to 1e+06 |
G | gravitational constant | m^3/(kg*s^2) | Newton's constant of gravitation | |
M | central mass | kg | Mass of the central body | 1 to 1e+32 |
r | orbital radius | m | Distance from the central body's center | 1 to 1e+13 |
Assumptions
- Circular orbit
- Orbiting body much lighter than the central body
Valid when
- Speeds far below the speed of light
Look-alikes
Escape speed has exactly the same variables, so only the question's words tell them apart. To get this one, use one of: moon, orbit, orbital speed, satellite, space station. A question that says neither gets an answer flagged as ambiguous.
Found by
Questions with these words retrieve this equation: orbit, orbital speed, satellite, moon, planet, space station.
Source
OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, Chapter 13 (reference; entry written by the project). License: MIT. Entry confidence: 0.99.