Finding an Expression for the Universal Gravitational Potential Energy — with Calculus and Python

Photo: NASA. Apollo 11 Lunar Module

Here is a physics problem. You have an object above the moon and you drop it. What is the final speed before the object hits the surface? Note: this object is NOT the lunar lander since it also has a horizontal motion — but you get the idea. The best way to solve this problem is to use the gravitational potential energy (with…