If a Satellite Sent to Mars Is Designed to Return

question 68

Multiple Choice

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

• A) 100 m/s
• B) 5,000 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:

Reaction

The process by which two or more reactants form one or more products, often releasing or absorbing energy.

Reagents

Materials or chemicals introduced into an environment to initiate a chemical reaction or to test for the presence of a reaction.

Synthesis

The process of combining smaller molecules to form more complex ones, often involving chemical reactions.

KMnO4

Potassium permanganate, a chemical compound with strong oxidizing properties, used in a variety of applications including as a disinfectant and in organic synthesis.