Final answer:
Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object possesses due to its position above the surface of the Earth. To estimate the escape velocity of a planet, the concept of gravitational potential energy can be used by calculating the minimum velocity needed to overcome the planet's gravitational pull.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gravitational potential is the weight of an object multiplied by the height it is lifted through, expressed as gravitational potential energy. Gravitational potential energy is the energy an object possesses due to its position above the surface of the Earth. Mathematically, it can be represented as PEg = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the object above a reference point.
To estimate the escape velocity of a planet, we can use the concept of gravitational potential energy. Escape velocity is the minimum velocity an object needs to overcome the gravitational pull of a planet and escape its gravitational field. The formula to calculate escape velocity is given by v = sqrt(2gh), where g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the radius of the planet. By plugging in the values of mass and radius of the planet into this formula, we can determine the escape velocity of the planet.