is there a website where I can chat with people knowlegable about the topic of escape velocity? I posted a question about speed needed to leave earth, but am not getting the answer I wanted. Apparently I'm not phrasing my question properly.
2006-12-25 07:44:56 · 6 answers · asked by Sue Naumy 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
What do you need to know?
simply the value, how you get the value, or why do you need to have that speed to escape?
If you can't get this, then just E-mail me with your questions and I will see what I can do.
2006-12-25 09:01:50 · answer #1 · answered by Walking Man 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You CAN leave the earth's gravity at any speed -- provided you can leave your engine running continuously. But the problem with space travel is that you can't leave your engine running continuously, because a rocket burns fuel at a ferocious rate.
An airplane stays up because of air working on the wings. But above the atmosphere, that won't work. You need something else to keep you up. And the ONLY thing that will do it is thrust from your engine. That means that your engine not only needs to move you forward, it also has to hold you up against the pull of gravity too. Which means you need a very big rocket engine for spaceflight, which burns fuel very fast.
The solution is to burn your engine rapidly enough at the beginning of your trip to push your payload where you want to go, all in one big push. That leads to the concept of 'escape velocity', the speed which you need to travel to escape earth's orbit permanently and not fall back.
2006-12-25 19:49:23 · answer #2 · answered by Keith P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just to explain to you what orbit is, you need to be moving forward fast enough that you fall at the same rate as the earth curves. its like 8000 feet per second at sea level. escape velocity is how fast you need to be moving to escape the orbit of earth. which i guess is like 25000 mph. but its all relative to the earths surface. relative to the sun you are gonna be moving alot faster and relative to the center of the galaxy you are gonna be moving at an extremely fast rate.
2006-12-25 18:53:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Escape velocity from earth is 25,000 mph. and does not change for a person regardless of weight.
2006-12-25 16:27:28 · answer #4 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That should be under "Physics Category"
2006-12-25 17:14:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
try geek.com
2006-12-25 17:42:53 · answer #6 · answered by paulbritmolly 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋