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lesson pretestMultiple Choice

Pretest

Question 1 • Physics

Which would cause the greatest increase in the acceleration of a satellite?

Answer
A
a decrease in the radius and an increase in the tangential speed
B
an increase in the radius and the tangential speed
C
a decrease in the radius and the tangential speed
D
an increase in the radius and a decrease in the tangential speed

Explanation

A satellite’s centripetal acceleration is a = v²/r, where v is tangential speed and r is radius. Increasing the speed raises acceleration, while decreasing the radius also raises it. Choice A combines both changes, so it causes the greatest increase.

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