For a satellite velocity from earth is 11.2 km/s. If a body is to be launched at an angle of 60ᵒ with the vertical, then escape velocity will be
Satellite velocity is the speed required for a satellite to maintain orbit, balancing gravitational pull and centrifugal force during motion.
Class 11 Physics
Gravitation
CBSE EXAM 2024-25
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While ejecting a body from the Earth, escape velocity becomes very crucial to overcome gravitational force so that it becomes free from the planet’s influence. The conventional value of escape velocity from Earth’s surface is about 11.2 km/s. But if the launch angle is considered to be 60 degrees with the vertical, then the whole speed needed for escape becomes a different story.
The required launch velocity, at an angle, would be the summation of the components of velocity. The vertical component needs to equal the escape velocity so that the body can rise infinitely against the gravity of Earth. Now, for an angle of 60 degrees, we find that in relation between the required launch velocity and the escape velocity, it shows that the necessary velocity for escape is increasing.
Specifically, when launched at an angle of 60 degrees, the total velocity needed becomes approximately 11√3 km/s. This is because the vertical component of the launch velocity has to compensate for the angle at which the body is launched. Consequently, a launch speed of 11√3 km/s guarantees that the vertical component will match the required escape velocity of 11.2 km/s and the body will break free from Earth’s gravitational influence. This is how launch angle affects the dynamics of reaching escape velocity.