At what distance from a mass M does the gravitational potential become zero?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
At what distance from a mass M does the gravitational potential become zero?
At infinity
At the surface of the mass
At 1 meter
At 2 meters
The gravitational potential becomes zero at infinity, as V approaches zero as r approaches infinity.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: At what distance from a mass M does the gravitational potential become zero?
Solution: The gravitational potential becomes zero at infinity, as V approaches zero as r approaches infinity.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand that gravitational potential (V) is a measure of the potential energy per unit mass at a point in a gravitational field.
Step 2: Know that the gravitational potential due to a mass M at a distance r is given by the formula V = -GM/r, where G is the gravitational constant.
Step 3: Recognize that as the distance r increases (moves away from the mass M), the value of V becomes less negative.
Step 4: Realize that as r approaches infinity (very far away from the mass), the value of V approaches zero.
Step 5: Conclude that the gravitational potential becomes zero at an infinite distance from the mass M.
