Question

Two friends are having a conversation. Anna says a satellite in orbit is in freefall because the satellite keeps falling toward Earth. Tom says a satellite in orbit is not in freefall because the acceleration due to gravity is not 9.80 m/2 . Who do you agree with and why?

Answer 1

Answer:

Anna is correct.

Explanation:

Anna is right as a satellite is in free fall because it keeps falling toward Earth, meaning that gravity is the only force acting on it. Tom is incorrect because an object does not have to accelerate at a certain speed to be considered to be in free fall. As long as gravity is the only force acting upon the object, it is considered to be in free fall.