Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
View my library
0
Teachers
Pupils
New
New

    Orbital motion of artificial satellites

    I can describe changes to a satellite’s speed and velocity as it orbits Earth.

    Download all
    New
    New

      Orbital motion of artificial satellites

      I can describe changes to a satellite’s speed and velocity as it orbits Earth.

      Download all

      These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

      Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

      These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

      View new resources

      Lesson details

      Key learning points

      1. Artificial satellites orbit Earth because of the gravitational attraction between them.
      2. The speed of a satellite along its orbit around Earth is constant.
      3. The velocity of a satellite along its orbit around Earth constantly changes as it changes direction.
      4. The gravitational force on a satellite makes it accelerate and change direction, but not speed.

      Keywords

      • Satellite - an object which orbits a planet; satellites can be natural (moons) or artificial

      • Polar orbit - an orbit in which the satellite passes over the poles of a planet

      • Geostationary orbit - an orbit in which the satellite is stationary in the sky as it orbits in the same time as the planet, directly above its equator

      • Orbital path - the path a satellite takes around the planet it orbits

      Common misconception

      Motion is always in the direction of the force acting on an object.

      Provide pupils with opportunity to experience a radial force changing the direction of a small object in order to make it move in a circular path.

      Demonstrate (with care) the effect of a radial force by releasing a string that is forcing a small object to move in a circular path. The object will continue to move in a straight line in the direction it was travelling when the force is removed.
      Teacher tip

      Equipment

      Thin plastic tubes (e.g. shells of ballpoint pens), rubber bung, strong thread, masses and mass holder.

      Content guidance

      • Risk assessment required - equipment

      Supervision

      Adult supervision required

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

      Skip lesson video

      Loading...

      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      Download quiz pdf

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What happens when Earth orbits the Sun?

      Earth spins on its axis so it faces the Sun once each day
      Correct answer: Earth moves in a circular path around the Sun once each year
      the Sun moves in a circular path around Earth once each day
      the Sun moves in a circular path around Earth once each year

      Q2.
      Which of the following objects orbit Earth?

      Correct answer: the Moon
      the Sun
      stars
      Correct answer: the International Space Station

      Q3.
      Which of the following objects orbit only the Sun?

      Correct answer: asteroids
      Correct answer: dwarf planets
      stars
      the moons of Jupiter

      Q4.
      Starting with the planet with the fewest moons, sort the following planets into increasing order of number of moons.

      1 - Mercury
      2 - Earth
      3 - Mars
      4 - Jupiter

      Q5.
      How many artificial satellites orbit Earth?

      fewer than ten
      about a hundred
      about a thousand
      Correct answer: more than ten thousand

      Q6.
      Starting with the planet that takes the shortest amount of time, sort the following planets into increasing order of how long they take to orbit the Sun.

      1 - Mercury
      2 - Venus
      3 - Earth
      4 - Mars
      5 - Jupiter
      6 - Saturn

      Assessment exit quiz

      Download quiz pdf

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Titan is a large moon of Saturn. Which of the following statements most accurately describes Titan?

      Titan is a natural satellite of the Sun.
      Correct answer: Titan is a natural satellite of Saturn.
      Titan is an artificial satellite of Saturn.
      Titan is a planet in orbit around Saturn.

      Q2.
      Which of the following types of satellites are often found in low Earth orbits?

      the Moon
      communication satellites
      Correct answer: observation satellites

      Q3.
      How does a geostationary satellite move around Earth?

      it remains still as Earth spins beneath it
      Correct answer: it orbits once each day
      it orbits several times each day

      Q4.
      Why are communication satellites usually placed in a circular orbit of 35 785 km above the Equator?

      so they don't collide with the Moon
      Correct answer: so they remain above one point on Earth's surface
      so they move across the whole of Earth each day
      so they can send signals directly to every country on Earth

      Q5.
      What force acts on a satellite in geostationary orbit?

      frictional force
      Correct answer: gravitational force
      thrust
      buoyancy

      Q6.
      Starting with the satellite that has the fastest orbit, sort the following satellites of Earth into increasing order of how long they take to orbit Earth.

      1 - a weather satellite in a low Earth orbit
      2 - a communications satellite in a geostationary orbit
      3 - the Moon

      Additional material

      Download additional material

      Lesson appears in

      UnitPhysics / Gravity in space

      AQAPhysics

      Show Foundation unit

      OCRPhysics

      Show Foundation unit