If a Robotic Probe Sent to Mars Is Designed to Return

question 20

Multiple Choice

If a robotic probe sent to Mars is designed to return a rock sample to Earth, how fast must the probe be launched from the surface of Mars in order to escape the gravity of Mars? For reference, Mars has a mass of 6 *10²³ kg and a radius of 3,400 km.

• A) 100 m/s
• B) 4,900 m/s
• C) 20 m/s
• D) 20,000 m/s
• E) You must know the mass of the satellite to determine the answer.

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Definitions:

Birthrates

The number of live births per thousand people in a population per year.

Death Rates

The number of deaths in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time.

Per Capita

A statistical measure that divides a total figure by the number of people in a population, used to give an average per person.

Water Consumption

The total volume of water used by individuals, communities, industries, or agriculture over a specified period.