Angular momentum measures how much rotational 'oomph' an orbiting body carries — for a body moving tangentially in a circular orbit, it depends on its mass, speed, and how far it is from the center.
Angular momentum measures how much rotational 'oomph' an orbiting body carries — for a body moving tangentially in a circular orbit, it depends on its mass, speed, and how far it is from the center. Angular momentum is conserved in orbital mechanics, which is why planets sweep out equal areas in equal times (Kepler's Second Law).
A 1000 kg satellite orbits at 7.67 km/s (7670 m/s) at a radius of 6.771×10⁶ m. L = 1000 × 7670 × 6.771×10⁶ ≈ 5.19×10¹³ kg·m²/s.
It measures the rotational momentum of an orbiting body, calculated as mass × orbital velocity × orbital radius (for a simplified circular orbit).
Yes — in the absence of external torque, a body's orbital angular momentum stays constant, which is why objects speed up near periapsis and slow down near apoapsis in elliptical orbits.
Typically kg·m²/s in SI units, combining mass (kg), velocity (m/s), and radius (m).