Escape velocity of solar system projectile

AI Thread Summary
To determine the minimum speed a projectile must have to escape the solar system when fired from Earth, the escape velocity formula must be adjusted to account for Earth's orbital velocity around the Sun. The standard escape velocity calculation assumes the object is at rest relative to the Sun, which is not the case here since the Earth is moving. Therefore, the projectile's speed must include the Earth's orbital velocity to accurately calculate the required escape speed. This adjustment is crucial as it affects the total velocity needed for the projectile to successfully escape the solar system. Understanding this relationship is essential for solving the problem correctly.
azwraith69
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Homework Statement


A projectile is fired from the Earth in the direction of the earth’s motion around
the sun. what minimum speed must the projectile have relative to the Earth to escape the
SOLAR SYSTEM? Ignore the earth’s rotation.


Homework Equations



escape velocity = sqt[(2G x mass of sun) / Earth's distance from sun, 1 AU]

The Attempt at a Solution


is the solution that simple? or did I miss some concepts? I think only the sun's gravitation is considered...

thanks
 
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The expression you have is the escape velocity for an object placed where the Earth is and at rest with respect to the Sun, i.e. has zero kinetic energy relative to the Sun. This is not the case for a projectile fired from the Earth because the Earth is moving relative to the Sun.
 
kuruman said:
The expression you have is the escape velocity for an object placed where the Earth is and at rest with respect to the Sun, i.e. has zero kinetic energy relative to the Sun. This is not the case for a projectile fired from the Earth because the Earth is moving relative to the Sun.

Thanks.. what should i do then? should i add Earth's velocity in its orbit? how exactly will i compute for that? thanks...

i will submit this after 6 hours,, so i really need direct answers.. can't reply anymore.. thanks in advance
 
You don't have to reply if you can't, but we don't give direct answers either. Yes, you need to add the Earth's speed because the projectile is fired in the same direction as the Earth is moving. To find the Earth's speed, consider this: how far does the Earth travel in its orbit in one year?
 
kuruman said:
You don't have to reply if you can't, but we don't give direct answers either. Yes, you need to add the Earth's speed because the projectile is fired in the same direction as the Earth is moving. To find the Earth's speed, consider this: how far does the Earth travel in its orbit in one year?

ok sorry,,

but,, do i really need to add Earth's speed? I need the escape velocity relative to earth..

thanks
 
As I said, the equation that you quoted gives the speed that the projectile must have if it were at rest relative to the Sun. If it were already moving relative to the Sun (as in this case), would it need a higher or lower speed than the equation gives?
 
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