Escape Velocity Calculation for a Spaceship in Space

AI Thread Summary
The escape speed of a spaceship fired in space, at the same distance from the Sun as Earth, can be calculated using the formula V_e = (2GM/r)^0.5. The mass (M) to use in the calculation is the mass of the Sun, while the radius (r) is the distance from the Sun, approximately 150 million kilometers. This distance includes the Sun's radius plus the distance from the Earth to the Sun. The discussion confirms that this distance is the correct value for r in the escape velocity equation. Understanding these parameters is crucial for accurately calculating the escape speed.
athymy
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Homework Statement



What is the escape speed of a spaceship fired in space, far away from Earth but at the same distance from the sun as the Earth.

Homework Equations



Ve = (2GM/r)^0.5

The Attempt at a Solution



The problem is that I don't know what the M or r is since it is fired from space... Should I just assume that the mass is the suns and for r I just add the suns radius with the distance from the Earth to the sun?
 
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athymy said:

Homework Statement



What is the escape speed of a spaceship fired in space, far away from Earth but at the same distance from the sun as the Earth.

Homework Equations



Ve = (2GM/r)^0.5

The Attempt at a Solution



The problem is that I don't know what the M or r is since it is fired from space... Should I just assume that the mass is the sun's and for r I just add the suns radius with the distance from the Earth to the sun?
How far is Earth from the Sun ?

That's how far the spaceship is from the Sun .
 
SammyS said:
How far is Earth from the Sun ?

That's how far the spaceship is from the Sun .

Ahh, so Earth is approx. 150,000,000 km from the sun so is that my r value?
 
athymy said:
Ahh, so Earth is approx. 150,000,000 km from the sun so is that my r value?

Yes. Sure it is.
 
Dick said:
Yes. Sure it is.

Thanks for your help! :D
 
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