GENERAL PHYSICS 1

GRAVITATIONAL
POTENTIAL ENERGY,
ESCAPE VELOCITY,
AND SATELLITE
MOTION!
QUARTER 2 WEEK 2
GRAVITATIONAL
POTENTIAL ENERGY
Basically, gravitational potential energy is equal
to the work needed to move an object to that
location from a fixed reference location. We
have a specific equation for this and is given by;

Gravitational Potential Energy = mass x acceleration

due to gravity x height
GPE = m*g*h
 Work = GPE
Work = Force x displacement (W = F * d)
Gravitational Potential Energy = mass x
acceleration due to gravity x height
(GPE = m * g * h)

m * g = Weight (W) = Force of Gravity (Fg)

h = diplacement from surface of earth

Work = Force (m * g) * displacement (h)

This means that Work and GPE are baiscally the same

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 Work = GPE = m * g * h
This equation works when the object
is close to the earth’s surface where g
is constant and GPE is zero at earth’s
surface.

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 How much is the gravitational potential energy for
each ball? Choices : 0, 5 Joules, 10 Joules

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 When the object moves far from the earth’s surface and g is
not constant anymore, you have to use a more general form
of the equation.

This is because the father an object is from the center of the

earth, the less it is affected by the force of gravity of earth.
Earth's gravity is largest at its center.

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 This is a more general formula for Gravitational potential
energy (GPE)

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 This is a more general formula for
Gravitational potential energy (GPE)

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 The gravitational potential energy (GPE), ,
depends on the distance r between the center of
the earth and body of mass . With this
equation, Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE) is
assigned to be zero when the object is very far
from the surface of the earth or at infinity.

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 When distance r increases or when an object moves farther
away from the earth, the gravitational force performs
negative work!

While this is happening, the Gravitational potential energy

increases!

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

Which type of work is shown in each
situation, positive, negative or zero work?

Legend: Force displacement

WORK
 The magnitude of work is positive when the direction of the force is
in the same direction of the displacement of the object, therefore
the force causes the displacement.

However, the magnitude of work is negative when the force acts

in the opposite direction of the object’s displacement, causing the
object to slow down. In addition, if the force does not cause the
displacement but rather hinders it, the work is considered
negative.

Lastly, if the force and the displacement is at right angles of each

other, it means, no work has occurred, because the force did not
cause the displacement.

WORK
 When distance r increases or when a object moves farther away from
the earth, the gravitational force performs negative work! While this is
happening, the Gravitational potential energy increases!

Legend: Gravitational Force displacement

WORK
 When distance r increases or when a object moves farther away from
the earth, the gravitational force performs negative work! While this is
happening, the Gravitational potential energy increases!

As a ball is thrown upward,

the gravitational force does
negative work, and because
the basketball is gaining
height, the gravitational
potential energy increases!

Legend: Gravitational Force displacement

WORK
 When distance r increases or when an object moves farther
away from the earth, the gravitational force performs
negative work, and gravitational Potential Energy (Ug)
increases. When distance r decreases or when an object
moves towards earth, the gravitational force does positive
work, and the gravitational potential energy (Ug) decreases.

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 When using infinity as the reference point, gravitational
potential energy is always negative. We can imagine an
object coming to land on a planet. As it comes closer to the
planet, the object is affected by the force of gravity of the
planet. Because of this, the object loses its gravitational
potential energy which is transformed to kinetic energy as it
approach the planet's surface - in other words, Ug, always
becomes more negative.

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY

 ESCAPE VELOCITY
Escape velocity is defined to be the
minimum velocity required for an object to
escape completely from the gravitational
field of a planet. If we equate the initial
kinetic energy of the moving body to the
work needed to overcome gravity at the
surface of the astronomical body, neglecting
friction, escape velocity can be calculated. In
symbols, Kinetic energy = Work (K = W)
 Eq. 1

ESCAPE VELOCITY
 The distance r is equal to the radius R of the
astronomical body with mass M. Thus, escape
velocity equals

Eq. 2

ESCAPE VELOCITY
 This is the general formula for escape velocity:

Eq. 2

If we equate the general formula for acceleration due

to gravity: to the generel formula of escape
velocity Eq. 2, we will get this:

Eq. 3

Eq. 3 only true for celestial objects near Earth. Eq. 2

and Eq. 3 show that the mass of the object projected
does not affect its escape velocity.

ESCAPE VELOCITY
LET'S TRY THIS!
1. Jin and Bin went to the moon from a rocket launched
at the surface of the earth. (A) At what minimum speed
must a rocket be launched from the surface of the earth
to a height above the earth equal to the earth’s radius R E

(B) At what minimum speed must this rocket be

launched from the earth that would allow it to escape
from the earth completely ( the escape speed). Neglect
air resistance, the earth’s rotation, and the gravitational
pull of the moon. The earth’s radius and mass are RE =
6 24
6.37 x 10 m and mE = 5.97 x 10 kg .
LET'S TRY THIS!
1. Jin and Bin went to the moon from a rocket launched
at the surface of the earth. (A) At what minimum speed
must a rocket be launched from the surface of the earth
E
to a height above the earth equal to the earth’s radius R
LET'S TRY THIS!
Once the rocket is launched only the (conservative)
gravitational force does the work. We use the
conservation of mechanical energy to find the speed at
which the rocket must be launched to come to a stop.

The energy conservation equation is:

LET'S TRY THIS!
LET'S TRY THIS!

Then you plug in the values:

LET'S TRY THIS!
(B) At what minimum speed must this rocket be
launched from the earth that would allow it to escape
from the earth completely ( the escape speed). Neglect
air resistance, the earth’s rotation, and the gravitational
pull of the moon. The earth’s radius and mass are RE =
6 24
6.37 x 10 m and mE = 5.97 x 10 kg .
LET'S TRY THIS!
LET'S TRY THIS!
Then you plug in the values:
SATELLITE MOTION
An important application of Newton’s law of
gravitation and circular motion in our previous lessons
involves satellite motion. A satellite is any object that
orbits a planet or a star. Satellites may be natural or
artificial. The moon that orbits Earth is a natural
satellite. The International Space Station is an artificial
satellite and is the largest satellite ever placed in orbit.
How do they stay in orbit, and what determines the
properties of their orbit?
 Many artificial satellites have nearly circular
orbits. Centripetal force must be present to keep
this satellite moving in a circle. The earth’s
gravitational force provides the Centripetal force
and keeps the satellite moving in a circle. What
we are going to do now is to derive the equation
for the orbital period.

SATELLITE MOTION
 From Newton’s second law; (1)

But when the object is moving in a curved path,

the acceleration of that object is given by; (2)

Remember that r must be from the center mass and the

height of the object above the surface of the center mass.

We put (1) and (2) together, and we get centripetal force

(3)

SATELLITE MOTION
 For the gravitational force, we use Newton’s law
of universal gravitation (4)

Remember that centripetal force and gravitational force

are equal in magnitude but opposite direction. Thus, we
can set these two equations equal to each other. Hence;

(5)

We simplify these equations and cancel m and r, and solving

for v, we find
(6)

SATELLITE MOTION
 Now, we also know that the velocity is equal to (7)

But for the object moving in a circular path distance and

time equals tangetial velocity;
(8)

We can solve for T and substitute v from step 6b

SATELLITE MOTION
SATELLITE MOTION
 We can also take these terms (8) and plug into v2 (6a) and
since it is v2 you have to square all those terms and yields;

(9)

Now, let us solve for T;

(12)

SATELLITE MOTION
 (12)

SATELLITE MOTION
LET'S TRY THIS!
What should be the distance from the earth an artificial
satellite be placed so that it remains synchronous with
the earth?
LET'S TRY THIS!
What should be the distance from the earth an artificial
satellite be placed so that it remains synchronous with
the earth?
LET'S TRY THIS!
Solution: Manipulate the equation for the orbital period
to solve for r and substituting values
LET'S TRY THIS!
Solution: Manipulate the equation for the orbital period
to solve for r and substituting values
LET'S TRY THIS!
 A synchronous communication satellite, also
known as ‘syncom’ is a satellite with the same
period of revolution with the period of rotation of
the planet it orbits. Satellites in synchronous orbit
with earth or in geosynchronous orbit, allows us to
watch our favorite events happening in distant
places such as in other countries or “live via
satellite.

SATELLITE MOTION
 Moreover, it makes one revolution in 24 hours so it
appears to stay directly over a fixed point above
Earth’s sky. Satellite dishes or stationary antennas in
our homes can receive signals even without changing
orientation from revolving satellite

SATELLITE MOTION
 To learn more about satellites, let's watch these
videos!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2FFtPPM3iY

SATELLITE MOTION
thank you for listening!
Have any questions or suggestions?