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the moon speeds up and slows down because of atmospheric drag and tidal dynamics

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How are all of the planets kept in orbit around the sun?

all the planets stay in orbit around the sun because of the sun's gravitational pull. The high orbital speed that keeps the planets from falling all the way into the sun and since there is no friction in the vacuum of space , that speed dosen't slow down.


What force causes the spacecraft to orbit the moon?

The force that causes a spacecraft to orbit the Moon is gravity. Gravity is the force of attraction between two objects with mass, like the Moon and the spacecraft, which keeps the spacecraft in orbit around the Moon.


Why does the space shuttle's orbit apparently follow a wave pattern?

The apparent wave pattern seen during the space shuttle's orbit is due to variations in the Earth's gravitational field. These anomalies cause the shuttle to speed up or slow down slightly as it orbits, creating a wave-like path. Additionally, atmospheric drag and other factors can further influence the path of the shuttle's orbit.


How does a spacecraft enter into a planets orbit?

A spacecraft enters a planet's orbit by slowing down relative to the planet's motion until its velocity is matched with the planet's gravitational pull. This process involves precise calculations and adjustments in speed and trajectory to achieve a stable orbit around the planet.


Why must satellites in Leo travel very fast?

Satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) must travel fast to continue orbiting the Earth without falling back down due to gravity. The high speed helps to balance the force of gravity to keep the satellite in orbit. Additionally, the fast speed allows the satellite to complete its orbit around the Earth in a relatively short amount of time.

Related Questions

What causes the moon to speed up or slow down in orbit?

time of the season


Where is the speed of light at its fastest?

The speed of light is fastest in a vacuum. All other media slow the speed of light down, albeit very slightly.


What causes a bicycle to speed up going down hill?

gravityGRAVITY


What happens when an object in orbit looses speed?

When an object in orbit loses speed, it will start to drop towards the central body it is orbiting due to gravity. If the object loses too much speed, it may re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or crash into the surface. Maintaining the right speed is crucial for an object to stay in orbit.


Is polar orbit faster than regular orbit?

The speed it takes to complete and orbit is based on the altitude. Each altitude has a specific speed. One cannot be in a low orbit, say 160 miles perigee that takes 90 minutes to complete, and go faster at 160 miles perigee and take 80 minutes. If one increases their orbital velocity, it increases their altitude AND it makes the orbit take longer to complete. Its kind of a crazy way to do things, but we're talking about rotational physics, not linear (which we are more accustomed to). How backwards is this?? Let's say you're trying to reach the space station and it is ahead of you in orbit. If you want to go FASTER in orbit, you actually need to SLOW down, drop to a lower orbit, which will be faster, until you slightly pass the space station. THEN you speed up, go to a higher orbit where the space station is, and link up. There is a reason astronauts are good at math and that computers are necessary in spaceflight!


What causes an object slow down or speed up?

an external net force acting on it


Can A force can cause an object to change its speed?

Yes,because if a force is getting weaker it causes the speed to slow down but if the force is getting stronger it causes the object to move faster.


What causes an object to slowdown or speed- up?

An object can only slow down, speed up, or change direction, if there is a net force acting on the object.


Why do planes and space shuttles fly at a different speed?

The space shuttle goes into orbit around the earth. In order to stay in an orbit, something that is orbiting has to go at the right speed for that orbit. The orbit the space shuttle goes into has a speed of around 17000 mph. If it went faster, it would go up higher into space away from the earth. If it went slower, it would not have enough energy of motion and it would fall back to earth. The shuttle's big rockets don't just lift it up into space, their main purpose is to give the shuttle this enormous speed so that it can stay in its orbit. A plane engine is not strong enough to make the plane go this fast, but if it did somehow go this fast it would burn up. When it is time to land, small rockets on the shuttle change the orbit so that it goes into the air. The air slows the shuttle down, and it starts to come down faster since it doesn't have enough speed anymore to stay in orbit. The air rushing past the shuttle has friction with the shuttle and gets very hot. As the shuttle goes through the air, it slows down from this friction, until it is finally going slow enough to land. When it lands the shuttle has slowed down to the speed of a plane.


How are all of the planets kept in orbit around the sun?

all the planets stay in orbit around the sun because of the sun's gravitational pull. The high orbital speed that keeps the planets from falling all the way into the sun and since there is no friction in the vacuum of space , that speed dosen't slow down.


What is the speed of a microwave in air?

The speed of a microwave in air is approximately 300,000 kilometers per second, which is the speed of light in a vacuum. When passing through other materials, such as air, the speed of a microwave will slow down slightly due to the material's density and composition.


When a force causes the speed of an object of decrease?

When a force causes the speed of an object to decrease, the object is experiencing deceleration. This means that the force is acting in the opposite direction to the object's motion, causing it to slow down. The magnitude of the force determines how quickly the object's speed decreases.