Gravitation: Potential


Problems on Potential Energy

Problem : What is the gravitational potential energy of the moon with respect to the earth? The mass of the moon is 7.35×1022 kilograms and the mass of the earth is 5.98×1024 kilograms. The earth moon distance is 384 400 kilometers.


Problem : What is the gravitational potential with respect to the sun at the position of the earth? The mass of the sun is 1.99×1030 kilograms and the mass of the earth is 5.98×1024 kilograms. The mean earth-sun distance is 150×106 kilometers.


Problem : What is the total energy of a 90 kilogram satellite with a perigee distance 595 kilometers and apogee distance 752 kilometers, above the surface of the earth? The mass of the earth is 5.98×1024 kilograms and its radius is 6.38×106 m.


Problem : Calculate the orbital energy and orbital speed of a rocket of mass 4.0×103 kilograms and radius 7.6×103 kilometers above the center of the earth. Assume the orbit is circular. ( M e = 5.98×1024 kilograms).


Problem : A satellite of mass 1000 kilograms is launched with a speed of 10 km/sec. It settles into a circular orbit of radius 8.68×103 km above the center of the earth. What is its speed in this orbit? ( M e = 5.98×1024 and r e = 6.38×106 m).


Take a Study Break

SparkLife

Star Trek gets SEXY

Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana heat up the red carpet!

SparkLife

Are you afraid of relationships?

Auntie SparkNotes can help!

SparkLife

Wanna get JLaw's gorgeous glow?

Click here for simple, sexy makeup tricks!

SparkLife

Sexy starlet style

See every single look from the Met Gala!

SparkLife

Who'd be on your zombie-apocalypse crew?

We already dib'sed Genghis Khan.

Geek out!

The MindHut

Geeky Actresses: Then and Now

Before the fame!

The MindHut

9 Scientific Inaccuracies in Iron Man 3

Click to see what they got wrong.

The MindHut

Top 10 Predictions Sci-Fi Got WRONG

So wrong, they're WRONG.

The MindHut

The 15 Most Awesome Robots, Ever

These Robots Rock!

The MindHut

If You Like Game of Thrones...

...Then you'll LOVE these books!

The Book

Cover image

Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like

Get Our FREE NOOK Reading Apps