The orbital velocity of a satellite revolving near the surface of the Earth depends on which of the following?

Solution

1. The orbital velocity $v$ of a satellite is defined by the formula $v=\sqrt{\frac{GM}{R}}$, where $G$ is the gravitational constant, $M$ is the mass of the Earth, and $R$ is the radius of the orbit.
2. Since the satellite is revolving near the surface of the Earth, the orbital radius $R$ is approximately equal to the radius of the Earth.
3. The formula shows that $v$ depends on the mass of the Earth ($M$) and the radius of the Earth ($R$), but it is independent of the mass of the satellite.
4. Hence the answer is (B).