Question

A satellite completes one revolution of a planet in almost exactly one hour. At the end of one hour, the satellite has traveled 2.0 × 10 7 meters and is only 10 meters away from its starting point. What is the numerical value of the satellite's average velocity after that one hour?

Answer 1

You haven't described the shape of the orbit.
Fortunately, it doesn't matter.

Average speed = (distance covered) / (time to cover the distance)

= (2.0 x 10⁷ meters) / (1 hour)

= 2.0 x 10⁷ meters/hour

= 5,555 and 5/9 meters/second .

Note that this is the satellite's speed.


Regarding velocity:

Velocity = (displacement) / (time for the displacement)

= 10 meters/hour

= 0.002777... meters/second (rounded)

in the direction from the starting point
to the location after that one hour.