SOLUTION: Hello, Can someone please help me with this math question. I am very bad with this kind of math. Thank you, Droxygirl1001 A satellite has an elliptical orbit around the

Algebra ->  Quadratic-relations-and-conic-sections -> SOLUTION: Hello, Can someone please help me with this math question. I am very bad with this kind of math. Thank you, Droxygirl1001 A satellite has an elliptical orbit around the      Log On


   

Question 151732This question is from textbook College Algebra
: Hello,
Can someone please help me with this math question. I am very bad with this kind of math.
Thank you,
Droxygirl1001

A satellite has an elliptical orbit around the earth with one 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. What is the eccentricity of the satellite’s orbit?
 This question is from textbook College Algebra

Answer by scott8148(6628) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
thanks to a memory refresher from Wikipedia (a good resource)

the eccentricity is the difference of the orbital radii divided by the sum of the orbital radii

e=(4800-4200)/(4800+4200) __ e=600/9000 __ e=2/30 or .067 (approx)