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The magnitude of gravitational potential...

The magnitude of gravitational potential energy of the moon earth system is U with zero potential energy at infinite separation. The kinetic energy of the moon with respect to the earth is K.

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To solve the problem of finding the relationship between the gravitational potential energy (U) of the Moon-Earth system and the kinetic energy (K) of the Moon with respect to the Earth, we can follow these steps: ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Define Variables:** - Let \( M \) be the mass of the Moon. - Let \( m \) be the mass of the Earth. - Let \( A \) be the distance between the Moon and the Earth. - Let \( V \) be the velocity of the Moon. 2. **Gravitational Potential Energy (U):** - The gravitational potential energy (U) of the Moon-Earth system is given by the formula: \[ U = -\frac{G M m}{A} \] - Here, \( G \) is the gravitational constant. 3. **Kinetic Energy (K):** - The kinetic energy (K) of the Moon is given by: \[ K = \frac{1}{2} M V^2 \] 4. **Relate Velocity to Gravitational Force:** - From Newton's law of gravitation, the gravitational force acting on the Moon is: \[ F = \frac{G M m}{A^2} \] - According to circular motion, this force provides the necessary centripetal force: \[ F = \frac{M V^2}{A} \] - Setting these two expressions for force equal gives: \[ \frac{G M m}{A^2} = \frac{M V^2}{A} \] - Simplifying this equation, we get: \[ V^2 = \frac{G m}{A} \] 5. **Substitute Velocity in Kinetic Energy:** - Substitute \( V^2 \) in the kinetic energy formula: \[ K = \frac{1}{2} M \left(\frac{G m}{A}\right) \] - This simplifies to: \[ K = \frac{G M m}{2A} \] 6. **Relate U and K:** - Now, we can relate the gravitational potential energy (U) to the kinetic energy (K): \[ U = -\frac{G M m}{A} \] - We see that: \[ U = -2K \] 7. **Conclusion:** - Since \( U \) is negative and \( K \) is positive, we can conclude that: \[ |U| = 2K \quad \text{or} \quad U = -2K \] - Therefore, the magnitude of gravitational potential energy \( |U| \) is greater than the kinetic energy \( K \). ### Final Relationship: \[ |U| > K \]
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