Question

Please help me with the equations for this! Three uniform spheres are fixed at the positions shown in the diagram. ( there is a 1kg mass .5 m to the right of the origin, a 1kg mass .5m directly above the origen, and a 2kg mass at (.5,.5))Assume they are completely isolated and there are no other masses nearby. If the 0.20 kg particle is placed at (x,y) = (-500 m, 400 m) and released from rest, what will its speed be when it reaches the origin? (c) How much energy is required to separate the three masses so that they are very far apart?

Answer 1

The problem involves using the conservation of energy to find the speed of a particle influenced by gravity from surrounding masses and to calculate the energy required to separate the masses in space.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question pertains to the classical physics problem of determining the speed of a particle influenced by gravity when it reaches the origin, moving under the gravitational force from other masses, and calculating the energy required to separate masses in space. To find the speed of the 0.20 kg particle when it reaches the origin, gravitational potential energy at the initial location and kinetic energy at the origin have to be equated due to the conservation of energy. The energy required to separate the three masses ('anchored spheres') so that they are far apart is equivalent to the negative of the total gravitational potential energy of the system in its initial configuration.

Answer 2

The change in gravitational potential energy due to change in position must be the change in it's kinetic energy as the system is isolated! so find out the potential energies of the two different points!

PE=−[GM1M2]÷R

Potential energy of a particle due to mass A is not affected by presence of any other mass B !