Gravitational Field help please

Hey please i kinda need help wit dis question in preparation for ma mocks :frown:

1) Given that the mass of the Earth is 6.00x10(raised to da power of 24)kg and its mean radius is 6.40x10(raised to da power of 6)m

a) Calculate the increase in the potential energy of as satellite of mass 750kg when it is raised from the earths surface into a geo-synchronous orbit??

radius of geo-synchronous orbit is 4.23x10(raised to da power of 7)

2) Calculate the loss of gravitational potential energy of a meteorite of mass 0.10kg that falls to earth from space.

Thnx a lot :smile:

Reply 1

TheCI

1)Vgrav=-GM/R

On Surface: -(6.67x10^-11*6x10^24)/6.4x10^6=-6.25x10^7

In orbit: -(6.67x10^-11*6x10^24)/4.23x10^7=-9.46x10^6

-9.46x10^6-(-6.25x10^7)=5.3x10^7

2)Gravitational potential energy at infinity is 0.

0-6.25x10^7=-6.35x10^7

EDIT:I worked out what i did wrong. Multiply the values by the mass of the other object. -(GMm)/r