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A level Physics Question

The Rosetta space mission placed a robotic probe on Comet 67P in 2014.

(a) The total mass of the Rosetta spacecraft was 3050 kg. This included the robotic probe of mass 108 kg and 1720 kg of propellant. The propellant was used for changing velocity while travelling in deep space where the gravitational field strength is negligible.

Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy of the Rosetta spacecraft from launch until it was in deep space.

Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

Mass of the Earth = 6.0 × 1024 kg

Radius of the Earth = 6400 km

The answer is E=Gm1m2/r
which gives you an answer of 1.9 × 10^11 J
Can someone explain this to me
Original post by jacob1140
The Rosetta space mission placed a robotic probe on Comet 67P in 2014.

(a) The total mass of the Rosetta spacecraft was 3050 kg. This included the robotic probe of mass 108 kg and 1720 kg of propellant. The propellant was used for changing velocity while travelling in deep space where the gravitational field strength is negligible.

Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy of the Rosetta spacecraft from launch until it was in deep space.

Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

Mass of the Earth = 6.0 × 1024 kg

Radius of the Earth = 6400 km

The answer is E=Gm1m2/r
which gives you an answer of 1.9 × 10^11 J
Can someone explain this to me

Nvm apparently E=GMm/r is just an equation that we've yet to cover in class...

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