The escape speed from the surfaces of Earth and Mars. State using these values whether it is easier for a rock to escape from Mars or Earth. Use the values provided in Appendix 2.
Answer to Problem 50Q
Solution:
The escape speed from the surface of Earth is 11.2 km/s and that from Mars is 5 km/s. It would be easier for the rock to escape from Mars.
Explanation of Solution
Given data:
Refer to Appendix 2 for the following values:
The equatorial diameter of Earth is
The mass of Earth is
Formula used:
State the expression for escape velocity.
Here,
Explanation:
It is known that the radius of a sphere is half of its diameter. Consider Earth to be spherical in shape and calculate its radius as,
Here, subscript e refers to the corresponding quantities for Earth.
Substitute
Consider Mars to be spherical in shape and calculate its radius as,
Here, subscript m refers to the corresponding quantities for Mars.
Substitute
State the expression for the escape velocity for Earth.
Here, subscript e refers to the corresponding quantities for Earth.
Substitute
State the expression for the escape velocity for Mars.
Here, subscript m refers to the corresponding quantities for Mars.
Substitute
Conclusion:
Since the escape speed from the surface of Mars is lower than that from Earth, it would be easier for the rock to escape from Mars.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 4 Solutions
Universe
- The runaway greenhouse effect and its inverse, the runaway refrigerator effect, have led to harsh, uninhabitable conditions on Venus and Mars. Does the greenhouse effect always cause climate changes leading to loss of water and life? Give a reason for your answer.arrow_forwardIs it likely that life ever existed on either Venus or Mars? Justify your answer in each case.arrow_forwardSuppose that, decades from now, NASA is considering sending astronauts to Mars and Venus. In each case, describe what kind of protective gear they would have to carry, and what their chances for survival would be if their spacesuits ruptured.arrow_forward
- What evidence do we have that there was running (liquid) water on Mars in the past? What evidence is there for water coming out of the ground even today?arrow_forwardHow can a planet’s atmosphere affect the width of the habitable zone in its planetary system?arrow_forwardWhat evidence can you give that Venus once had significant amounts of water? Where did that water come from? Where did it go?arrow_forward
- Part of the "Mars Direct" mission plan involves rotating the spacecraft on its way to Mars to provide the astronauts with a simulation of Martian gravity. True False Due to the need to catch the correct launch window for the trip home, the total duration for a round trip to Mars will have to be at most 18 months at least 18 months at least 30 months at most 12 months at least 24 monthsarrow_forwardWhich of the following planetary traits is well established? choose one of the following: a) Mercury has a similar compositon to that of our moon, in that they both have a substantial metal content. b) Venus rotates more rapidly than Earth, but in the opposite direction. c) Earth's atmosphere exhibits a slightly stronger greenhouse effect than that seen on Venus. d)Astronomers have precisely calculated the mass of Mercury thanks to artificial satellites sent from Earth.arrow_forwardMission to Titan: Titan is the largest of Saturn’s moons and the only moon in the Solar System that possesses a dense atmosphere and large liquid bodies (seas or lakes) at its surface. For these and other reasons, many exobiologists think that Titan is the most likely place in the Solar System beside Earth where life might exist. NASA is considering sending a 600 kg space probe into orbit around Titan in order to map its surface. This would be followed a few years later by a 320 kg robotic lander that would land on the surface of Titan in order to look for life. a) What would be the space probe’s velocity and orbital period if the probe were to orbit at an altitude of 70 km above the surface of Titan? b) What force would the lander’s thrusters need to produce in order to allow the lander to hover just above the surface of Titan.arrow_forward
- The average distance from Earth to Mars is 1.5 AU. If you send a command using radio waves (a form of light!) to a rover on the Mars surface, how long will you have to wait before you receive the response? Assume the rover responds immediately after it receives the commandarrow_forwardWhat is the escape velocity in km/s from Venus' exosphere, which begins about 168 km above the surface? Assume the gravitational constant is G = 6.67 × 10-11 m3 kg-1 s-2, and that Venus has a mass of 4.9e+24 kg and a radius of 5800.0 km.arrow_forwardAssume that Venus has an isothermal atmosphere with a surface temperature of 750 K. The surface pressure of Venus is 90 times the Earth's surface pressure which is about 1013mb. Also assume that the carbon dioxide dominant atmosphere of Venus is photodissociated and oxygen atoms are produced. These oxygen atoms stop the solar wind at the ionopause distance where the atmospheric pressure of Venus and the dynamic pressure of the solar wind are in balance. Accordingly, calculate the lonopause distance of the planet Venus if the solar wind density is 7 #/cm² and solar wind speed is 410 km/sec.arrow_forward
- AstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStaxFoundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning