Rankers Physics

Planet and Satellite: Practice Problem & Solution

A ball is dropped from a spacecraft revolving around the earth at a height of $120\text{ km}$. What will happen to the ball? (1996)
It will fell down to the earth gradually
It will go very far in the space
It will continue to move with the same speed along the original orbit of spacecraft
It will move with the same speed, tangentially to the spacecraft.

Short Solution (Best for NEET):

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Planet and Satellite. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

When a ball is dropped from a spacecraft, it possesses the same orbital velocity as the spacecraft. Therefore, it continues to move with the same speed along the original orbit.

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