Escape velocity
Gives the minimum speed an object needs at distance r from a body of mass M to escape its gravitational pull, ignoring air resistance and other forces. It is used in orbital mechanics and spaceflight planning.
v_{\mathrm{e}} = \sqrt{\frac{2 G M}{r}}What the symbols mean
| escape velocity (m/s) | |
| gravitational constant, about 6.674 \times 10^{-11} m^3 kg^{-1} s^{-2} | |
| mass of the primary body (kg) | |
| distance from the centre of the primary body (m) |
About this formula
- FieldPhysics
- TopicGravitation and orbital mechanics
- LevelUniversity
- Also calledescape speed, second cosmic velocity, second escape velocity, escape velocity formula, minimum speed to escape gravity, escape velocity of a planet
- SourceWikidata Q166530
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