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Lecture 30
Gravitational Energy
Gravitational Potential Energy
Gravitational potential
energy of an object of
mass m a distance r from
the Earths center:
Gravitational Potential Energy
Very close to the Earths surface, the
gravitational potential increases linearly with
altitude:
A 1000 kg rocket is fired straight away from the surface of the Earth.
What speed does it need to escape from the gravitational pull of the
Earth and never return? (Assume a non-rotating Earth.)