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aeromat
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Homework Statement
Complete the chart for a 1kg rock and its trip through the Earth's gravitational firled. The rock was powerfully launched straight up from the surface of the Earth at 1x10^4 m/s.
Note: An object's kinetic energy must be a (+)-value; a negative value is impossible.
Homework Equations
Eg = -GmM/r
Ek = GMm/2r
mEarth = 6*10^24 kg
Re = 6.4*10^6 m
The Attempt at a Solution
Basically, we had to set distance as a variable, and see how the energies (Ek and Eg) would change.
The total energy is constant, and it is found to be -1.25*10^7 J
Ok If I solve for E for instance, 6 times the radius of the earth, I will get -1.04x10^7 J of Eg. However, when I try to solve for Ek:
Ek + Eg = ET
Ek = ET - Eg
Ek = (-) answer, since the Eg was smaller than the overall ET, which was found to be -1.25*10^7.
Is this still valid?
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