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What is escape velocity? Definition.
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Escape velocity is the minimum speed an
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object must have to break free from the
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gravitational pull of a planet, moon, or
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any celestial body without further
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propulsion. Explanation: Every massive
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body like Earth pulls objects toward its
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center through gravity. To escape this
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pole, an object must have enough kinetic
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energy to overcome the gravitational
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potential energy holding it down. Escape
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velocity does not depend on the mass of
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the escaping object, only on the mass
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and radius of the planet or body being
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escaped from. For Earth, the escape
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velocity is approximately 11.2 km/s.
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This is why rockets need enormous fuel,
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not just to go up, but to reach this
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huge speed. Escape velocity comes from
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equating kinetic energy to the
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gravitational potential energy required
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to escape Earth's gravitational
