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Gravitational Potential - Check my answer please? :)

***SOLVED*** but I can't delete the thread. Guess I'll leave it as an example!


I have to calculate gravitational potential at point X, which is 8.10 x 10^7m away from a planet of mass 1.08 x 10^23. This point is 5.4 x 10^7m away from the planet's moon, of mass 4.8 x 10^22.

So I'm using V = - G M / r

For the planet...
V = - (6.67 x 10^-11) x (1.08 x 10^23) / (8.1 x 10^7)
Therefore
V = - 8.89 x 10^4 J/kg

Now for the moon...
V = - (6.67 x 1011) x (4.8 x 1022) / (5.4 x 107)
V = - 5.93 x 10^4

Now adding the bolded quantities to find the resultant gravitational potential:
- 8.89 x 10^4 + - 5.93 x 10^4
= - 1.429 x 10^8
(edited 8 years ago)

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