What is the escape velocity of a body on the surface of the earth of radius R if the gravitational constant is G and the mass of the earth is M? (Neglect en...

Answer Details

The escape velocity is the minimum velocity that a body must have in order to escape from the gravitational field of a planet, moon or other celestial body without being pulled back by its gravity. To calculate the escape velocity of a body on the surface of the earth, we can use the formula: v = sqrt(2GM/R) Where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the earth and R is the radius of the earth. Plugging in the values, we get: v = sqrt(2 x 6.67 x 10^-11 x 5.97 x 10^24 / 6.37 x 10^6) v = sqrt(2 x 39.8 x 10^13) v = sqrt(79.6 x 10^13) v = 8.91 x 10^3 m/s Therefore, the escape velocity of a body on the surface of the earth is 8.91 x 10^3 m/s. So, the correct option is: 2GM/R.