A satellite orbits Earth.

Question

The only force on the satellite is the gravitational force exerted by Earth. How does the satellite’s acceleration compare to the gravitational field at the location of the satellite? Select two answers.

1. The gravitational field strength is unrelated to the acceleration.
2. A
3. The gravitational field strength is smaller than the acceleration.
4. B
5. The gravitational field and the acceleration point in the same direction.
6. C
7. The magnitudes of the acceleration and the gravitational field strength are equal.

Answer 1

By Newton's 2nd law, the acceleration is always in the direction of the net applied force. Since the only applied force in this problem is the gravitational force, the acceleration must point in the same direction as the gravitational force.