Calculating Distance & Energy for Explosion to Moon

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SUMMARY

To hit the Moon with a bullet, it must travel at approximately 11,200 m/s, which is the escape velocity required to overcome Earth's gravitational pull without atmospheric resistance. If an explosion is initiated from a height of 100,000 feet, the energy required to send an object into the Moon's gravitational influence must be calculated based on empirical data, as the explosion's radius and other variables significantly affect the outcome. At an altitude of 36,000 miles, the energy in kilojoules (KJ) needed for the explosion would also vary, necessitating further calculations to determine exact values.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of escape velocity, specifically 11,200 m/s for lunar impact.
  • Basic knowledge of kinetic energy and its relation to velocity.
  • Familiarity with the concept of gravitational pull and its effects on projectiles.
  • Awareness of atmospheric effects on projectile motion and terminal velocity.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of escape velocity and its calculations.
  • Study the principles of kinetic energy and its formulas.
  • Explore the effects of atmospheric resistance on projectile motion.
  • Investigate empirical methods for calculating explosive energy requirements.
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, physicists, and anyone interested in the dynamics of projectiles and explosive energy calculations related to space missions.

dankelly08
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ok just a couple of questions I have been thinking about.. this is not my area of expertise so help would be greatly appreciated

Could anyone tell me how far away from Earth I would have to be before I could shoot a bullet from a gun that would hit the moon. Supposing the bullet could travel at 1000 m/s.. is there a formula I could use?

And suppose I had a metal indestructable box and could cause and explosion 100,000 + feet above the earth, how many KJ would I need to produce to send it within the moons gravitational pull?

Also if the same experiment was done at around 36,000 miles above the Earth how many K/J would need to be created?

Any help would be fantastic :D
 
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The bullet would need to be traveling around 11.2 thousand m/s when it leaves the nozzle in order to hit the moon if we had no atmosphere. With atmosphere you must account for the terminal velocity as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_velocity

The energy of the explosion may be proportional to how large it would need to be to reach the moon, however the radius of the explosion is what matters, that would have to be empirically determined as there is too many variables.

Good luck on your mission to destroy the moon.
 
thanks a lot for the info
 

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