What is the minimum initial velocity necessary for an object to leave Earth?

The problem can be easily solved using energy formulas. The only force that acts on the departing object is the gravitational force, which is conservative. Therefore the total energy is conserved on the trajectory:E=mv2/2-GmM/r=ct.The energy on the surface of the planet is:E=mv2i/2-GmM/R where vi is the initial velocity and R is the radius of Earth.At infinity(where the objects eventually gets since it leaves Earth):E=mv2f/2 where vf is the final velocity, which will be set to 0 in order to minimise the initial velocity.Equating the energies of the two positions we get:mv2i/2-GmM/R=0vi=(2GM/R)1/2 After introducing the values for the gravitational constant, mass and radius of Earth we get the final velocity:vi=11.2 km/s

LS
Answered by Leontica S. Physics tutor

2239 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

An electron is emitted from a cathode in an electron gun, with a potential difference of 150kV. Find the velocity of the electron after it is accelerated and find the De Broglie wavelength.


What is resonance


A ball of mass 0.25 kg is travelling with a velocity of 1.2 m/s when it collides with an identical, stationary ball. After the collision, the two balls move together with the same velocity. How fast are they moving?


How do I find how much radioactive material is left after time t if I know its half-life?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning