A projectile is fired vertically from the surface of Earth at 10 km/s. The projectile will
A)go into circular orbit about Earth.
B)go into an elliptical orbit about Earth.
C)rise and fall back to Earth's surface.
D)none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The projectile will rise and then fall back to Earth's surface because its speed (10 km/s) is less than Earth's escape velocity (approximately 11.2 km/s), but it is too high for the projectile to go into a stable orbit.

A Projectile Is Fired Vertically from the Surface of Earth