Escape Velocity
Remember the total energy of an object is E
= K + U:
And remember that E<0 orbits were bound, E>0 orbits
were unbound. To find the critical velocity at which something will escape,
set E=0:
and solve for the escape velocity:
For example, what speed will a rocket
need to escape from the Earth?
Why doesn't the space shuttle need to reach this speed?