Victorian91 said:
Why do you have the 2 in the denominator of each? I think you should have Ui = -GMm/2R and Uf = -GMm/3R. I'm curious why you thought the extra 2 came in.Victorian91 said:
Victorian91 said:
Gravitational potential energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field. It is the energy that is required to move the object from its current position to a reference point, typically infinity, without any acceleration.
The gravitational potential energy of a satellite is calculated using the formula U = -GmM/r, where G is the universal gravitational constant, m is the mass of the satellite, M is the mass of the planet, and r is the distance between the satellite and the planet's center of mass.
The gravitational potential energy of a satellite is directly proportional to the distance between the satellite and the planet's center of mass. As the distance increases, the potential energy also increases.
As a satellite moves closer to a planet, its gravitational potential energy decreases. This is because the distance between the satellite and the planet decreases, resulting in a smaller value for r in the gravitational potential energy formula.
Yes, the gravitational potential energy of a satellite can be negative. This can occur when the satellite is at a distance less than the reference point (usually infinity) and is moving towards the planet. In this case, the potential energy is considered to be "lost" or converted into kinetic energy as the satellite falls towards the planet.