Question

(a) What is the escape speed on a spherical asteroid whose radius is 500. km and whose gravitational acceleration at the surface is 3.00 m/s2 ? (b) How far from the surface will a particle go if it leaves the asteroid's surface with a radial speed of 1000 m/s? (c) With what speed will an object hit the asteroid if it is dropped from 1000 km above the surface?

Answer 1

Answer:

a) v= 1732.05m/s

b) d=250000m

c) v= 1414.214m/s

Explanation:

Notation

M= mass of the asteroid

m= mass of the particle moving upward

R= radius

v= escape speed

G= Universal constant

h= distance above the the surface

Part a

For this part we can use the principle of conservation of energy. for the begin the initial potential energy for the asteroid would be $U_i =-\frac{GMm}{R}$.

The initial kinetic energy would be $\frac{1}{2}mv^2$. The assumption here is that the particle escapes only if is infinetely far from the asteroid. And other assumption required is that the final potential and kinetic energy are both zero. Applying these we have:

$-\frac{GMm}{R}+\frac{1}{2}mv^2=0$   (1)

Dividing both sides by m and replacing $\frac{GM}{R}$ by $a_g R$

And the equation (1) becomes:

$-a_g R+\frac{1}{2} v^2=0$   (2)

If we solve for v we got this:

$v=\sqrt{2 a_g R}=\sqrt{2x3\frac{m}{s^2}x500000m}=1732.05m/s$

Part b

When we consider a particule at this surface at the starting point we have that:

$U_i=-\frac{GMm}{R}$

$K_i=\frac{1}{2}mv^2$

Considering that the particle is at a distance h above the surface and then stops we have that:

$U_f=-\frac{GMm}{R+h}$

$K_f=0$

And the balance of energy would be:

$-\frac{GMm}{R}+\frac{1}{2}mv^2 =-\frac{GMm}{R+h}$

Dividing again both sides by m and replacing $\frac{GM}{R}$ by $a_g R^2$ we got:

$-a_g R+\frac{1}{2}v^2 =-\frac{a_g R^2}{R+h}$

If we solve for h we can follow the following steps:

$R+h=-\frac{a_g R^2}{-a_g R+\frac{1}{2}v^2}$

And subtracting R on both sides and multiplying by 2 in the fraction part and reordering terms:

$h=\frac{2a_g R^2}{2a_g R-v^2}-R$

Replacing:

$h=\frac{2x3\frac{m}{s^2}(500000m)^2}{2(3\frac{m}{s^2})(500000m)-(1000m/s)^2}- 500000m=250000m$

Part c

For this part we assume that the particle is a distance h above the surface at the begin and start with 0 velocity so then:

$U_i=-\frac{GMm}{R+h}$

$K_i=0$

And after the particle reach the asteroid we have this:

$U_f=-\frac{GMm}{R}$

$K_f=\frac{1}{2}mv^2$

So the balance of energy would be:

$-\frac{GMm}{R+h}=-\frac{GMm}{R}+\frac{1}{2}mv^2$

Replacing again $a_g R^2$ instead of GM and dividing both sides by m we have:

$-\frac{a_g R^2}{R+h}=-a_g R+\frac{1}{2}v^2$

And solving for v:

$a_g R-\frac{a_g R^2}{R+h}=\frac{1}{2}v^2$

Multiplying both sides by two and taking square root:

$v=\sqrt{2a_g R-\frac{2a_g R^2}{R+h}}$

Replacing

$v=\sqrt{2(3\frac{m}{s^2})(500000m)-\frac{2(3\frac{m}{s^2}(500000m)^2}{500000+1000000m}}=1414.214m/s$