Question

A meteoroid is moving towards a planet. It has mass m = 0.78×109 kg and speed v1 = 4.1×107 m/s at distance R1 = 2.8×107 m from the center of the planet. The radius of the planet is R = 0.26×107 m. The mass of the planet is M = 4.4×1025 kg. There is no air around the planet. Calculate the value of PE1, in joules

Answer 1

Answer:

$PE=81.755\, J$

Explanation:

Given that:

• mass of meteoroid, $m=7.8\times 10^8 \,kg$

• radial distance from the center of the planet, $R= 2.8\times 10^7 m$

• mass of the planet, $M=4.4\times 10^{25}\, kg$

For gravitational potential energy we have:

$PE=G\frac{M.m}{R}$

substituting the respective values:

$PE=6.67\times 10^{-11}\times \frac{4.4\times 10^{25}\times 7.8\times 10^8}{2.8\times 10^7}$

$PE=81.755\, J$