K17PH Physics

Escape Velocity
Lesson Overview
This week is focused on the satellite motion and geostationary satellites. You will also
learn about gravitational potential and potential energy. In last part of this week, the
escape velocity will be introduced with some examples.

Learning objectives
o Understand satellite motion and geostationary satellites.

o Understand the Gravitational potential and potential energy.

o Understand the escape velocity.

Keywords
Satellite motion, gravitational potential, potential energy, escape velocity
 Satellite motion

If a satellite is orbiting the Earth with a uniform speed, then there must be a
constant centripetal force acting on it. We have seen that the only force acting
on the satellite (mass 𝑀) is the gravitational force exerted on it by the Earth
(mass 𝑀𝐸 ). This force acts towards the centre of the Earth and it is the
centripetal force. Thus

𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚 𝑚𝑣 2
2
=
𝑟 𝑟
2
𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑣 = 𝑣=
𝑟 𝑟

Equation above shows that the speed of the satellite is determined by the
radius of the satellite's orbit. The inverse relationship means that the speed
increases when the orbit radius decreases. The mass of the satellite does not
affect the speed.
 Satellite motion

The period 𝑇 of an object performing circular motion with radius 𝑟 is related to

the speed 𝑣 of the object by the equation

2𝜋𝑟
𝑣=
𝑇
𝐺𝑀𝐸 2𝜋𝑟 𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑣=
𝑟 → 𝑇
=
𝑟

𝑇 𝑟
=
2𝜋𝑟 𝐺𝑀𝐸

𝑟3
𝑇 = 2𝜋
𝐺𝑀𝐸
 Example
A meteorological satellite orbits the Earth at an altitude of 2.50 ×105 m above
the Earth's surface. What are the speed and periodic time of the satellite?
Ans:
Before we can calculate the speed, we have to find the radius of the satellite's
orbit, which is equal to the radius of the Earth plus the altitude of the satellite
above the Earth's surface.

𝑟 = 𝑟𝐸 + 𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒
∴ 𝑟 = 6.4 × 106 + 2.5 × 105
𝑟 = 6.65 × 106 𝑚

The speed can now be calculated

𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑣=
𝑟

6.67 × 10−11 × 6 × 1024

𝑣=
6.65 × 106
𝑣 = 7.8 × 103 𝑚 𝑠 −1
 Example

A meteorological satellite orbits the Earth at an altitude of 2.50 ×105 m above

the Earth's surface. What are the speed and periodic time of the satellite?

To calculate the period 𝑇, we can put this value of 𝑣 into the circular motion
equation.

2𝜋𝑟
𝑣=
𝑇
2𝜋𝑟
𝑇=
𝑣
 Gravitational potential
and potential energy

The concept of gravitational potential energy should already be familiar to

you from Newtonian mechanics. If a mass 𝑚 is raised through a height ℎ, it
gains potential energy 𝑚𝑔ℎ. If the mass is then allowed to fall back down,
this potential energy is converted to kinetic energy as it is accelerated
downwards.

The gravitational potential 𝑉 at a point in a gravitational field is defined as the

work done by external forces in moving a unit mass from infinity to that point.
EXPLORE we are considering the field around a mass 𝑚, and moving a unit
Suppose
mass from infinity to a point a distance 𝑟 from 𝑚.
 Gravitational potential
and potential energy
we have to use a calculus approach, in which we consider the small amount of
work 𝑑𝑉 done in moving a unit mass a distance 𝑑𝑟 in the field. Integrating over
the range from ∞ to 𝑟
𝑟
𝑉 = න 𝐹 𝑑𝑟
∞

Using Newton's law of gravitation for the force acting on the body
𝑟
𝐺𝑚1𝑚2
𝑉 = න 𝑑𝑟
𝑟2
∞
In this expression, the values of 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 are 𝑀 and 1 kg
𝑟
𝐺𝑀
𝑉 = න 𝑟2 𝑑𝑟
∞
Gravitational potential and
potential energy

𝑟
𝑉 = 𝐺𝑀 න 12 𝑑𝑟
𝑟
∞ 𝑟

𝑉 = 𝐺𝑀 −1
𝑟 ∞

𝑉 = 𝐺𝑀 −1−(− 1 )
𝑟 ∞

1 1
𝑉 = 𝐺𝑀
∞−𝑟
𝐺𝑀
𝑉 =−
𝑟
 Example
The planet Pluto orbits at a mean distance of 5.92 × 1012 𝑚 from the Sun. What is
the gravitational potential due to the Sun's gravitational field at this distance? The
mass of the Sun is 2.0 × 1030 𝑘𝑔, so

𝐺𝑀
𝑉 =−
𝑟
6.67 × 10 −11 × 2.0 × 1030
𝑉 =−
5.92 × 1012

𝑉 = −2.3 × 107 𝐽𝑘𝑔−1

 Gravitational potential
energy
To find the gravitational potential energy of an object of mass 𝑚2
placed at that point in the field around a mass 𝑚1 , we simply
multiply by 𝑚2

𝐺𝑚1 𝑚2
𝐸𝑝 = 𝑉 = −
𝑟
 Example
The A rocket ship, mass 4.00 × 105 𝑘𝑔, is travelling away from the Moon. The ship's
rockets are fired when the ship is at a distance of 3.00 × 106 𝑚 from the centre of
the Moon. If the mass of the Moon is 7.3 × 1022 𝑘𝑔, how much work is done by the
rockets in moving the ship to a distance 3.20 × 106 𝑚 from the Moon's centre?
The rocket ship has an initial gravitational potential energy of:

𝐺𝑀𝑀 𝑚𝑠
𝐸𝑝1 = −
𝑟
6.67 × 10−11 × 7.3 × 1022 × 4.00 × 105
𝐸𝑝1 =−
3.00 × 106

𝐸𝑝1 = −6.492 × 1011 𝐽

 Example

𝐺𝑀𝑀 𝑚𝑠
𝐸𝑝2 = −
𝑟
6.67 × 10−11 × 7.3 × 1022 × 4.00 × 105
𝐸𝑝2 =−
3.20 × 106

𝐸𝑝2 = −6.086 × 1011 𝐽

The change in potential energy ∆𝐸𝑝 is:

∆𝐸𝑝 = 𝐸𝑝2 − 𝐸𝑝1

∆𝐸𝑝 = −6.086 × 1011 − (−6.492 × 1011 )

∆𝐸𝑝 = −4.1 × 1010 𝐽

 Escape velocity
To escape from the gravitational field, an object must have sufficient kinetic energy.
We know that at an infinite distance from Earth, the potential energy of a body will be
zero.
We can also work out the (negative) potential energy of the body when placed at the
Earth's surface. If the body has sufficient kinetic energy to raise its total energy above
zero J, then it can escape from the gravitational field. The gravitational potential
energy of an object such as a rocket of mass 𝑚 at a point on the Earth's surface can
be calculated using Equation:

𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚
𝐸𝑝 = −
𝑟𝐸
To escape the Earth's gravitational field, the work done by the rocket must equal the
potential difference between infinity and the point on the Earth's surface.

−𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚 −𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚
∆𝐸𝑝 = ∞
− 𝑟𝐸

𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚 𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚
∆𝐸𝑝 = 0 + =
𝑟𝐸 𝑟𝐸
 Escape velocity
The rocket must have an initial kinetic energy at least equal to this, so that its velocity
does not drop to zero before it has escaped from the field. We can use the equation
for kinetic energy to calculate the initial velocity of the rocket.

1 𝐺𝑀𝐸 𝑚
𝑚𝑣 2 =
2 𝑟𝐸

2𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑣2 =
𝑟𝐸

2𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑣=
𝑟𝐸
 Escape velocity
This velocity is the minimum velocity required. Now we will use the expression for the
acceleration due to gravity 𝑔, equivalent to the gravitational field strength at the
Earth’s surface, which is given by the equation

𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑔=
𝑟𝐸2

𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑔𝑟𝐸 =
𝑟𝐸

Substituting this expression into the equation for the escape velocity gives us

2𝐺𝑀𝐸
𝑣=
𝑟𝐸

𝑣= 2𝑔𝑟𝐸
 Escape velocity
The escape velocity for a rocket fired from Earth is given by previous Equation. Putting in
the values of 𝑔 = 9.8 𝑚 𝑠 −2 and 𝑟𝐸 = 6.4 × 106 𝑚, the escape velocity has a value

𝑣= 2𝑔𝑟𝐸

𝑣= 2 × 9.86.4 × 106

𝑣 = 1.1 × 106 𝑚𝑠 −1

You should note that the escape velocity does not depend on the mass of the rocket - the
escape velocity is the same for any object launched from the Earth's surface. In general,
the escape velocity from the gravitational field around a body of mass m, starting from
a point r from the centre of the field, is given by the following equation

2𝐺𝑀
𝑣=
𝑟
 Escape velocity
What is the escape velocity for a lunar probe taking off from the surface of the Moon?
𝑀𝑀 = 7.3 × 1022 𝑘𝑔, 𝑟𝐸 = 1.7 × 106 𝑚

2𝐺𝑀
𝑣=
𝑟

2 × 6.67 × 10−11 × 7.3 × 1022

𝑣=
1.7 × 106

𝑣= 5.728 × 106

𝑣 = 2.4 × 103 𝑚𝑠 −1