Astronomy & Space
Intermediate

Escape Velocity

Minimum speed to escape a body's gravity.

Formula

ve=2GMrv_e = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{r}}

Variables

GGravitational constant
MMass of body
rDistance from center

Example

Earth ≈ 11.2 km/s

Did You Know?

Earth's escape velocity is about 11.2 km/s — roughly 40,000 km/h, no matter the object's mass.

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