Question: The gravitational pull of the earth on an object is inversely proportional to the square of the distance of the object from the center of the earth. At the earths surface this force is equal to the objects normal weight mg, where and at large distances, the force is zero. If a 20, 000-kg asteroid falls to earth from a very great distance away, what will be its minimum speed as it strikes the earths surface, and how much kinetic energy will it impart to our planet? You can ignore the effects of the earths atmosphere.