JEE Main Physics question

A space ship moves from earth to moon and back. The greatest energy required for the space ship is to overcome the difficulty in

(A)Entering (i.e. escaping) the earth's gravitational fieldCorrect
(B)Take off from earth's field
(C)Take off from lunar surface
(D)Entering the moon's lunar surface

Answer: (A)

Solution

Earth's mass (and hence the depth of its gravitational potential well) is far greater than the moon's, so escaping earth's gravity at launch requires vastly more energy than the moon

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Question ID VK-154456