SOLUTION: Can someone please help me with this problem. I have no idea where to even start. I would really appriciate all the help I can get. This problem is from a work sheet from my perfes

Question 139154: Can someone please help me with this problem. I have no idea where to even start. I would really appriciate all the help I can get. This problem is from a work sheet from my perfessor.
A satellite has an elliptical orbit around the earth with ones focus at the earth's center, E. The earth's radius is 4,000 miles, the highest point that the satellite is from the surface of the earth is 800 miles, and the lowest is 200 miles. Find the eccentricity of the satellite's orbit.

Answer by scott8148(6628) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
eccentricity is a measure of how far "out of round" an ellipse is
__ a circle has an eccentricity of zero

to calculate the eccentricity, divide the distance between the foci by the length of the major axis

the major axis is 8000+800+200 or 9000

since the ellipse is symmetric, the distance from a focus to the end of the major axis is the same on both sides
__ in this case, 4000+200 or 4200
__ so the distance between the foci is 9000-2(4200) or 600

eccentricity is 600/9000 or approximately .067
RELATED QUESTIONS
1 1/15 + 3 3/10 - 2 4/5 = ?? Can someone help me with this please, I really have no idea (answered by edjones)

I have this problem I have no idea even where to start. Here it is.. Graph on a... (answered by stanbon)

Evaluate (16/25)^(-4/2) to an exact value. I have no idea where to even start with... (answered by Alan3354)

We are working on Rational Expressions and I am really confused. Can someone please help (answered by stanbon)

Can anyone help me with this problem? I have no idea where to even start?? Any help... (answered by nyc_function,Fombitz,mananth)

I don't even know where to start with this problem. Can someone help me. Please... (answered by AAfter Search)

Use the Gauss-Jordan Method to solve the system of equations. x = 1 - y 2x = Z 2z =... (answered by solver91311)

I have no idea where to start on this problem. PLease help. 7x/8-4=x (answered by midwood_trail)

Can someone help me with this problem i have no idea where to even start. The height... (answered by jim_thompson5910)