Leap Off an Asteroid: Escape Earthly Gravity?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
2 replies · 5K views
tjsingle
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Suppose that on Earth you can jump straight up a distance of 50 cm. Can you escape from a 4.0-km-diameter asteroid with a mass of 1.0 times 10^14 kg?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You are going to need to write your attempt at a solution to get help I think.

If you are really stuck you can start with trying to see what force your legs produce when jumping on Earth.
 
I think it will be easier to use an energy approach.

What is the escape energy (per unit mass) for the asteroid? How much energy (per unit mass) you are able to generate in that jump?

AM