Quantrex Quantrex AcademyJEE · NEET · NDA PYQs with solutions Open app
COMEDK2025PhysicsGravitationActual

What is the gravitational potential energy experienced by a body at an infinite distance from the earth, due to earth's gravity?

Options

  1. Azero
  2. Binfinity
  3. CIt is same as that on the surface of the earth.
  4. DIt is half that on the surface of the earth

Correct answer

A. zero

Step-by-step solution

The gravitational potential energy U of a body of mass m at a distance r from the center of the Earth of mass M is given by the formula U = - GMm r . At an infinite distance from the Earth, the distance r approaches infinity, i.e., r . Substituting this into the expression for gravitational potential energy, we get U = _ r ( - GMm r ) = 0 . Therefore, the gravitational potential energy of a body at an infinite distance from the Earth is zero. Answer: zero

Practice Gravitation on Quantrex Academy →

More from Gravitation

Two particles, one heavy and the other light, placed at 50 cm from each other, are under the influence of gravitational force of one another. If mass of the heavier particle is 4 k 2026Two neutral bodies of masses m₁ and m₂ are kept at a distance of r cm from one another in a vacuum medium. A gravitational force F_v acts between the two bodies. The entire set-up 2026A body is projected vertically upwards from the surface of earth with a velocity 'v' to reach a height of 10R, where R is the radius of the earth, then v is 2026Two spheres of masses M₁ and M₂ are in air separated by a distance of d m. The gravitational force of attraction between them is F. If the space around the masses is filled with a 2026A planet is revolving in a circular orbit with a time period T around the center of a star solely under the gravity of the star. Suppose the distance between the star and the plane 2026Imagine a new planet having the same density as that of the earth, but it is two times bigger than the earth in size. If the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of the earth 2026Suppose the acceleration due to gravity at the earth's surface is g m/s ^2 and at the surface of moon it is g' m/s ^2 . An M kg passenger goes from the earth to the moon in a space 2026The escape velocity of a body from a planet of mass M and radius R is 14 ~km ~s ⁻¹ . The escape velocity of the body from another planet having same mass and diameter 8 R (in km s 2025 Full Gravitation list All COMEDK PYQs