JEE Main 2023 — Gravitation Question with Solution
From: JEE Main 2023 (Online) 6th April Morning Shift
Question
Given below are two statements : one is labelled as Assertion and the other is labelled as Reason .
Assertion A : Earth has atmosphere whereas moon doesn't have any atmosphere.
Reason R : The escape velocity on moon is very small as compared to that on earth.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Choose an option
Show full solutionCorrect option: C
Step-by-step explanation
The assertion (A) is true: Earth does have an atmosphere, while the Moon does not have a significant atmosphere.
The reason (R) is also true: The escape velocity on the Moon is indeed smaller than that on Earth. The escape velocity is the minimum velocity an object must have to escape the gravitational pull of a planet or moon. A smaller escape velocity means it's easier for particles (such as the particles that make up an atmosphere) to escape into space.
Additionally, the reason (R) is a correct explanation for the assertion (A). The fact that the Moon's escape velocity is smaller than the Earth's is a major reason why the Moon doesn't have a significant atmosphere. Over time, particles that could have made up an atmosphere have escaped the Moon's gravitational pull and dispersed into space.
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This is a previous-year question from JEE Main 2023, covering the Gravitation chapter of Physics. PrepSharp catalogues every PYQ from JEE Main with a verified answer key and step-by-step solution prepared by IIT alumni — so you can search by chapter, topic or year and revise efficiently.