A body is projected vertically up with a speed v0 = $\sqrt{gR}$ from earth’s surface where g = 9.8 m/sec2 and R = radius of earth = 6.4 × 106 m. What is the maximum height attained by the body.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
Let the body of mass m be projected from point 1 and attains a height h at point 2.
Conservation of energy of the body between 1 and 2 yields, U1 + K1 = U2 + K2
$\Rightarrow\left(-\frac{GMm}{R}\right)+\left(\frac{1}{2} mv_1^2\right)=\left(-\frac{GMm}{R+h}\right)+\left(\frac{1}{2} mv_2^2\right)$
Putting $v_2=0$ and $v_1=v_0$, we obtain,
$\frac{1}{2} mv_0^2=G M m\left(\frac{1}{R}-\frac{1}{R+h}\right)$
$\Rightarrow \frac{v_0^2}{2}=\frac{GMh}{R(R+h)}$
$\Rightarrow \frac{v_0^2}{2}=\left(\frac{GM}{R^2}\right)\left(\frac{Rh}{R+h}\right)$
$\Rightarrow \frac{v_0^2}{2}=\frac{gRh}{R+h} \quad\left(∵ \frac{G M}{R^2}=g\right)$
$\frac{R+h}{h}=\frac{2 gR}{v_0^2}$
$\Rightarrow \frac{R}{h}+1=\frac{2 gR}{v_0^2}$
$\Rightarrow h=\frac{R}{\frac{2 gR}{v_0^2}-1}$
Putting v0 = $\sqrt{gR}$ , we obtain,
⇒ h = R = 6400 km.