Exams › JEE Main › Physics

Two statements are given. Assertion A: Planets A and B have equal escape velocities even though their masses are unequal. Reason R: For their escape velocities to be equal, the product of mass and radius must be the same, i.e. M1*R1 = M2*R2. Choose the most appropriate option.

1. Both A and R are correct, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
2. A is correct but R is not correct
3. Both A and R are correct, and R is the correct explanation of A
4. A is not correct but R is correct

Correct answer: A is correct but R is not correct

Solution

Escape velocity vₑ = sqrt(2GM/R). Two planets have equal escape velocities when M/R is the same for both, i.e. M1/R1 = M2/R2. This can hold with unequal masses (different M but proportionally different R), so Assertion A is correct. The Reason R states the condition as M1*R1 = M2*R2 (a product), which is wrong; the correct condition is the ratio M/R being equal. Hence A is correct but R is not correct.

Related JEE Main Physics questions

• A satellite of mass m moves in a circular orbit around the Earth at an altitude x above the Earth's surface. If g denotes the acceleration due to gravity at the Earth's surface, then the satellite's orbital speed is
• A particle is launched vertically upward from Earth’s surface with speed equal to three-fourths of the escape speed. The maximum distance of the particle from the Earth’s center is (take Earth’s radius as R):
• If Earth’s radius became 1% smaller while its mass stayed unchanged, what would happen to the acceleration due to gravity at the surface?
• The Moon takes about 29 days to complete one revolution around the Earth. If the Moon’s mass were doubled while every other factor stayed the same, its orbital period would be approximately
• Let the Earth have mean radius R, angular velocity ω about its own axis, and surface gravitational acceleration g. The orbital radius of a geostationary satellite is:
• Assume the Earth is a uniform sphere. Scientist A descends into a mine, while scientist B rises in a balloon. As they move, the gravitational field experienced by A keeps decreasing and the field experienced by B also keeps decreasing. Which statement best describes their rates of decrease?

⚔️ Practice JEE Main Physics free + battle 1v1 →