KCET 2025 Physics Paper

The total (mechanical) energy E of a satellite in a circular orbit of radius r=R+h is the sum of its kinetic and potential energies. You can show that
Gravitational potential energy:
U=−‌

GMm

r

Kinetic energy (for a circular orbit):
K=‌

1

2

‌

GMm

r

Total energy:
Since G,M and m are constants, E varies as
E∝−‌

1

r

=−‌

1

R+h