Work required to take object from planet to infinity

In summary, the conversation discusses the gravitational acceleration on the surface of a planet the same size as our moon, as well as the work required to take a creature with a mass of 100kg off the planet's surface and into space. The gravitational acceleration is calculated to be 1.63 m/s, and the work needed to send the object to infinity is determined using the concept of gravitational potential energy. The equation for gravitational potential energy at the surface of the planet is needed to solve the problem.
  • #1
JesseJC
49
0

Homework Statement


A terrestrial creature with mass m = 100kg to is standing on a planet the same size as our moon

1.) what is the gravitational acceleration on the surface of this planet ? Ag = GM/R^2 = 1.63 m/s

2.) work required to take creature off of planets surface and into space ?

Homework Equations


R = 1.74x10^6
M = 7.36x10^22
m = 100kg

The Attempt at a Solution


I have no idea where to start, please help
 
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  • #2
It's not to infinity, it's enough to take him away where the gravitationnal field won't do so much, and i think (maybe) W = F.s will
F is just equal to gravitationnal force on the creature,
 
  • #3
But one has to take into consideration that as the distance s is increasing, the force F is decreasing.
 
  • #4
Alright, so I'm thinking that I'll need to multiply the gravitational force by a certain distance and that's it, I'm not working with integrals or anything in this course, but the question asks for me to calculate work needed to send the object to infinity, which is pretty ambiguous. It also says that it just needs to be out of the gravitational pull, like you said ^^^. I don't understand what distance I can apply.
 
  • #5
If integration is not to be used, then one can use the idea of 'gravitational potential'.
 
  • #6
Noctisdark said:
It's not to infinity

Oh, but it is. Jesse, you need an equation to represent the gravitational potential energy of the creature at the surface of the planet. That shouldn't be too difficult to find if you don't know it off the top of your head.
 

Related to Work required to take object from planet to infinity

1. What is the definition of "work" in this context?

In this context, "work" refers to the energy required to move an object from a planet's surface to infinity, also known as the object's escape energy.

2. How is the work required to take an object to infinity calculated?

The work required to take an object from a planet's surface to infinity is calculated using the formula W = GMm/R, where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the planet, m is the mass of the object, and R is the distance between the planet's center and the object's starting point.

3. Is the work required to take an object to infinity the same for all planets?

No, the work required to take an object to infinity varies depending on the mass and size of the planet. Planets with higher masses and larger sizes will require more work to reach infinity compared to smaller planets.

4. Can the work required to take an object to infinity be reduced?

Yes, the work required to take an object to infinity can be reduced by increasing the object's starting velocity. This means that the object will have more kinetic energy and will require less work to reach infinity.

5. Is the work required to take an object to infinity affected by the planet's atmosphere?

No, the work required to take an object to infinity is only affected by the planet's mass, size, and distance from the object. The presence of an atmosphere does not affect the work required to reach infinity, but it may affect the object's starting velocity and thereby impact the amount of work needed.

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