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limenuke
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Homework Statement
A meteor is moving at a speed of 20000mi/hr reltiave to the centre of the Earth when it is 350 mi from the surface of the earth. At that time, the meteor has a radial velocity component of 4000 mi/hr toward the center of the earth. How close does it come to the Earth's surface?
Homework Equations
I'd like to know. I've no idea what to do when there is a velocity component towards the center of the planet. We have not discussed such problems in class...
We have discussed planetary motion, eccentricity, periods of orbits, elliptical transfers, areal velocities and such, but I ahve no approach for this.
The Attempt at a Solution
I honestly cannot really think of anything. I was thinking of a differential equation that assumes that centripetal acceleration reduces the radial velocity vector such that
r = 350 - 4000t + (1/2)(v^2/r)t^2 but I highly doubt this sol'n.
any ideas?