Any object, be it a space satellite or a molecule, must attain an initial upward velocity of at least 11.2 km/s in order to escape the gravitational attraction of the earth. What would be the kinetic energy in joules of a satellite weighing 2337 lb that has the speed equal to this escape velocity of 11.2 km/s?
Try K.E. = 1/2*m*v^2
148709.12
To find the kinetic energy of the satellite, we first need to convert the mass of the satellite from pounds to kilograms. Then we can use the formula for kinetic energy to calculate it.
1. Start by converting the mass of the satellite from pounds to kilograms. We know that 1 pound is equal to 0.45359237 kilograms.
Mass (kg) = (Mass in pounds) * (0.45359237)
= 2337 * 0.45359237
â 1059.05 kg (rounded to two decimal places)
2. Now we can find the kinetic energy using the formula:
Kinetic Energy (Joules) = 0.5 * Mass (kg) * Velocity^2
In this case, the velocity is given as 11.2 km/s. However, we need to convert it to meters per second (m/s) before plugging it into the formula. We know that 1 km = 1000 m and 1 hour = 3600 seconds.
Velocity (m/s) = (Velocity in km/s) * (1000 m/km) * (1 hour/3600 seconds)
= 11.2 * 1000 / 3600
â 3.11 m/s (rounded to two decimal places)
Now we can calculate the kinetic energy:
Kinetic Energy (Joules) = 0.5 * 1059.05 kg * (3.11 m/s)^2
Kinetic Energy â 5169.29 Joules (rounded to two decimal places)
Therefore, the kinetic energy of the satellite weighing 2337 lb and traveling at the escape velocity of 11.2 km/s is approximately 5169.29 Joules.