A moon of mass 4.00 × 10¹⁵ kg is in a circular orbit of radius 1.00 × 10⁵ km about a planet of mass 6.00 × 10²⁰ kg. Determine the potential energy of the system.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational potential energy (U) of a two-body system is given by the formula U = -G * (m1 * m2) / r, where G is the gravitational constant (6.67 × 10^-11 N(m/kg)^2), m1 and m2 are the masses of the two bodies, and r is the distance between their centers. Substituting the given values, U = -6.67 × 10^-11 * (4.00 × 10^15 * 6.00 × 10^20) / (1.00 × 10^8) = -1.60 × 10^18 J.

A Moon of Mass 4