ESCAPE VELOCITY

Assignment
Workshop 1: Escape Velocity
Problem 1. What is the minimum velocity of a projectile (not a rocket) fired
vertically from the Earth so that it escapes from the Earth’s gravitational pull?
This is known as its escape velocity. You can neglect air-resistance.
Hint: If the velocity of the projectile falls to zero it will be pulled back to Earth

Introduction

According to the laws of physics, escape velocity is the minimum velocity of the object at
which it can break free from the gravitational pull of another massive object such as a planet
or moon. For example, an object traveling at the velocity of approximately 7 miles per
second or 25,000 miles per hour can escape the earth’s gravitational pull and can leave
earth’s orbit.
It highlights that the escape velocity of planet earth is 11.186 km/s (6.951 mi/s; 40,270 km/h;
25,020 mph). The escape velocity depends on the mass of the planet or moon which means
that earth’s escape velocity is higher than that of moon. The escape velocity is achieved when
the object’s kinetic energy and its gravitational pull balance off each other, making their sum
equal to zero. At the escape velocity, object is neither in an orbit or at the surface of the
planet or moon.
This workshop is designed to calculate the escape velocity of a projectile when it is fired
from the surface of the earth vertically.
Analysis
Let
Radius of Earth=R=6.4*106 m
Mass of Earth=M= 5.9736*1024 kg
Mass of projectile=m
Velocity of projectile= v e
Gravitational constant=G=6.67*10−11 Nm2 kg−2
Centre of Earth= O
Point on the Earth’s Surface= A
Distance from point O to P= x
Distance from point P to Q= dx
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Solutions

In the above-mentioned figure, let’s assume that the shape of the planet earth is sphere and its
radius is ‘R’ and mass is ‘M’. An object of having mass ‘m’ is fired from the surface of earth
at point A. By joining the centre of the sphere with point ‘A’, we get the line OA which is
further extended outside the surface of the earth. At line OA, mark two points P and Q which
are at the distance of dx with each and at the distance of (x+ dx) from the centre of the earth.
Let us assume that the escape velocity to break free from earth’s gravitational pull is v e. The
kinetic energy (K.E) of the object with mass ‘m’ can be calculated as follow,
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At the point ‘P’ on line OA, the distance from the centre of earth is x, the gravitational pull or
force (F) of earth of object with mass m can be calculated as follows,

To make the object travel from P to Q at distance of dx, the work done needed can be
calculated,

In the next step, total work done to take the object from surface of the earth to point in
infinity against the gravitational pull of earth is calculated. It can be computed by integrating
the above equation within the limits x = R to x = ∞. Hence, total work done is

As mentioned in the introduction, to achieve escape velocity, the kinetic energy of the object
must be equal to potential gravitational energy. Taking this into account, the kinetic energy of
the object with mass ‘m’ must be equal to work done to take object from earth’s surface to
point infinity against the gravitational pull.

K.E. of Object should be Equal to Magnitude of P.E.

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Since,

The relation shows that the escape velocity of an object does not depend on the mass of the
projected object but only on the mass and radius of the planet from which it is projected.

The above equation of escape velocity shows that it depends only on the gravity (g) and
radius (R) of the planet and there is no relationship between the mass of the object and its
escape velocity.

Escape Velocity of Earth

For the earth, g = 9.8 m/s2 and R = 6.4 X 106 m, then

Interpretation
It can be seen from the above equation that earth’s escape velocity is constant and is
independent of the mass of individual objects. Therefore, it does not change with the mass of
the object that is fired to escape the earth’s surface. Based on this, the escape velocity of an
object of 5Kg, 50Kg, 500kg, or 50,000 Kg will be same which is 11.2 Km/s. However, the
amount of kinetic energy required to escape the earth’s surface depends on the mass of
ESCAPE VELOCITY

object. The energy to remove an object from earth’s orbit against gravitational pull is
GMm / r. In this, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of earth, R is the radius of
earth while m is the mass of the escaping object. Moreover, orbital energy is the sum of the
kinetic and potential energy divided by the mass of the object. It means when the orbital
energy is greater or equal than zero, object has achieved its escape velocity.
Discussion
When a ball is thrown vertically from the surface of the earth, it falls back to the ground after
gaining a specific height; more the speed of the throw, the higher ball will go before falling to
the ground. But, if the ball is thrown at a speed fast-enough at which its kinetic energy equals
to the potential gravitational energy, the ball will break free from earth’s gravitational pull
and will never fall back at the ground. Instead, it will move away from earth’s surface farther
into space.
It represents that the escape velocity is the initial speed of an object at which is fired or
thrown away at which it breaks free from the gravitational pull of a larger body like a star,
planet or moon. The escape velocity is independent of the mass of the object and only
depends on the mass and radius of the larger object such as star, planet or moon. It means that
an object of 1Kg will have different escape velocity at surface of earth and at surface of
moon. However, escape velocity of earth, moon or other massive objects will be constant.
The escape velocity at the surface of the Earth is 11.2 kilometers per second ignoring the
resistance of air. A projectile fired vertically from the surface of the earth must be traveling at
the speed of 11.2 kilometers per second to escape earth’s gravity.

Expression
v e= √ 2 gR
Escape velocity = 11.2 km/sec
It shows that escape velocity depends only on the gravity and radius of the massive object
and is independent of mass of the projectile or object.
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