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henpen
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http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Celestial_mechanics#Newton.E2.80.99s_Celestial_Mechanics In this source, the gravitational potential energy is given as [itex] \frac{-MmG}{r}-\frac{mmG}{r}[/itex], seeming to imply that the [itex]\frac{MmG}{r}[/itex] result only applies to a body, mass [itex]m[/itex], in a gravitational potential, not a two-body sytem. Why is this, or is it an error?
I would have thought, given that the force is [itex]-\frac{mMG}{r^2}[/itex], the potential energy is [itex]-\int (-\frac{mMG}{r^2}) =-\frac{mMG}{r}[/itex]: certainly not the result in the source.
I would have thought, given that the force is [itex]-\frac{mMG}{r^2}[/itex], the potential energy is [itex]-\int (-\frac{mMG}{r^2}) =-\frac{mMG}{r}[/itex]: certainly not the result in the source.