How much work is required to lift a weight to orbit?

In summary, the conversation discusses calculating the work done in lifting a 100 kilogram weight from the surface of the Earth to an orbit 35,786 kilometers above the surface of the earth. Using the formula for the force of gravity, the work is determined to be approximately 5,305,028,517 Newton meters. The calculation involves integrating and using the values for the radius of the Earth and distance to the orbit.
  • #1
karush
Gold Member
MHB
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9.5.1 work integral

How much work is done in lifting a $100$ kilogram weight from the surface of the Earth to an orbit $35,786$ kilometers above the surface of the earth?

Answer $\approx 5, 305, 028, 517$ Newton meters

$$6371=r_0$$
$$35786+r_0 = D$$
$$k=r_0^2\cdot100\approx4058964100$$
$$W=\int_{r_0}^{D} \frac{k}{{r}^{2}}\,dr \approx 540817.9092$$

Obviously didn't get the answer??
 
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  • #2
karush said:
9.5.1 work integral

How much work is done in lifting a $100$ kilogram weight from the surface of the Earth to an orbit $35,786$ kilometers above the surface of the earth?

Answer $\approx 5, 305, 028, 517$ Newton meters

$$6371=r_0$$
$$35786+r_0 = D$$
$$k=r_0^2\cdot100\approx4058964100$$
$$W=\int_{r_0}^{D} \frac{k}{{r}^{2}}\,dr \approx 540817.9092$$

Obviously didn't get the answer??

Hi karush! ;)

The force of gravity is:
$$F_g = \frac{GMm}{r^2}$$
So:
$$\begin{aligned}W &= \int_{r_0}^D \frac{GMm}{r^2} \,dr = \left. -\frac{GMm}{r} \right|_{r_0}^D = GMm\left(\frac 1 {r_0} - \frac 1 D\right) \\
&= 3.986004418\cdot 10^{14} \cdot 100 \cdot \left(\frac 1 {6371\cdot 10^{3}} - \frac 1 {(35786+6371)\cdot 10^{3}}\right) \\
&= 5.311\cdot 10^{9}\text{ J}
\end{aligned}$$
 
  • #3
Thanks
Don't have any physics background 😩😩😩
 

1. What is a work integral?

A work integral is a mathematical concept used in physics to calculate the amount of work done by a force on an object over a certain distance. It takes into account both the magnitude and direction of the force, as well as the distance traveled.

2. How is a work integral calculated?

A work integral is calculated by taking the integral of the dot product of the force vector and the displacement vector. This is represented by the equation W = ∫ F · dx, where W is the work done, F is the force, and dx is the displacement.

3. What are the units of a work integral?

The units of a work integral are joules (J) in the SI system. This is because work is defined as the product of force and distance, and both of these quantities are measured in SI units (newtons and meters, respectively).

4. What is the relationship between work integrals and energy?

Work integrals and energy are closely related, as work is the transfer of energy from one object to another. The work integral represents the amount of energy transferred by a force, and it can be used to calculate the change in energy of an object.

5. How is a work integral used in real-world applications?

Work integrals have many real-world applications, such as calculating the work done by a car engine to move a car a certain distance, or the work done by a weightlifter to lift a barbell. They are also used in fields such as engineering, where they can be used to calculate the amount of work needed to move a heavy object or build a structure.

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