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Physics
Classical Physics
Mechanics
What is the kinetic energy when an object reaches escape velocity?
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[QUOTE="jbriggs444, post: 6321497, member: 422467"] I would add that escape velocity decreases as altitude increases. If you have an object exactly at escape velocity at the Earth's surface, it will still be exactly at "escape velocity" when it it 100 miles up. It will be going slower. Escape velocity 100 miles up is a bit slower than at the Earth's surface If a quick calculation serves, escape velocity is cut approximately in half once an object is at 12,000 miles altitude (16,000 miles from the center of the Earth). Escape energy, aka potential energy deficit, scales inversely with distance from the center of the gravitating body. Quadruple the distance and you've cut energy by 1/4. So you've cut escape velocity by 1/2. The object will be moving half as fast as it was at the surface. And it will still be at escape velocity. If it were to reach infinity without interference, an object that started at escape velocity at the Earth's surface would be at a dead stop. [Which is still equal to escape velocity because it would have already escaped] [/QUOTE]
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Physics
Classical Physics
Mechanics
What is the kinetic energy when an object reaches escape velocity?
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