Take a rubber mat. Put earth on the center of the mat. The mat now deflects symmetrically around, kinda like a cone. Put a marble at the center of the mat. Push it with a velocity x m/s. You notice it can't get up the hill caused by the earth. Push it with a velocity x + 2 m/s. You notice it gets right near the top, but then falls back down. Push it with a velocity x + 3 m/s and BOOM! The marble reaches the top without rolling back down.

This is escape velocity. Understand?

• Meteors exceed that velocity - yanniru - June 17, 2002 - 19:43 UTC
• I know this - smartguy - June 18, 2002 - 03:11 UTC
  • Why is that velocity terminal - yanniru - June 18, 2002 - 21:55 UTC
    • It won't accelerate further after harnessing all present gravity - quiet - June 19, 2002 - 05:07 UTC
      • Decelerating in one direction is Accelerating in another - quiet - June 19, 2002 - 23:22 UTC
    • Gravity is not responsible for accelerating the meteor - smartguy - June 19, 2002 - 05:42 UTC
      • Semantics - yanniru - June 19, 2002 - 14:10 UTC
        • Yanniru must have been kidding about being a physicist - quiet - June 19, 2002 - 16:04 UTC
          • More blowhard - yanniru - June 19, 2002 - 20:32 UTC
            • I thought you would say,"Of course I was kidding re:Term. Vel." - quiet - June 19, 2002 - 22:09 UTC
              • I never kid or lie. - yanniru - June 20, 2002 - 13:40 UTC
                • another technical explanation by whatsisname - quiet - June 21, 2002 - 05:53 UTC
                • That's one way to avoid slander - yanniru - June 21, 2002 - 14:15 UTC
  • I think it's determined by whatever is the "force" of gravity - quiet - June 19, 2002 - 05:03 UTC