SOLUTION: An abject is orbiting the Earth at 215 miles in altitude. It takes one hour to orbit the Earth. What is it's speed? What is the mathmatic equation to calculate the answer?

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Question 211190: An abject is orbiting the Earth at 215 miles in altitude. It takes one hour to orbit the Earth. What is it's speed? What is the mathmatic equation to calculate the answer?
Found 2 solutions by Alan3354, Edwin McCravy:
Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
An abject is orbiting the Earth at 215 miles in altitude. It takes one hour to orbit the Earth. What is it's (sic) speed? What is the mathmatic equation to calculate the answer?
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The earth's radius is ~ 3960 miles.
3960+215 = 4175 miles
The distance, s, of a revolution is 2*pi*4175 miles
s =~ 26232 miles
s/1 hr = 26232 mph

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20063) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
An abject is orbiting the Earth at 215 miles in altitude. It takes one hour to orbit the Earth. What is its speed? What is the mathmatical equation to calculate the answer?

The orbit is a circle. We need to find the circumference
of that circle to find out how far the object goes in one
orbit. 

Suppose the radius of the earth is R miles, then the object
is slinging around the center of the earth in a circle with 
a radius of R+215 miles.

So we calculate the circumference of that circle it travels
in

C=2pi%2Aradius

C=2pi%28R%2B215%29 miles it travels in one orbit. 

Now since 

speed+=+%28distance%29%2F%28time%29

We substitute 2pi%28R%2B215%29 miles for the distance
and 1 hour for the time it takes to make 1 orbit.

speed+=+%282pi%28R%2B215%29%29%2F%281%29

or

speed+=+2pi%28R%2B215%29mi%2Fh

If we assume the radius of the earth is R = 3959 miles,
then the speed is

speed+=+2pi%283959%2B215%29=%2226%2C226%22mi%2Fh  
 
Edwin