A projectile is fired vertically from the surface of the Earth at 8 km/s and remains in a vertical path. The projectile will
A)go into circular motion about Earth.
B)rise and fall back to Earth's surface.
C)follow an uncertain path.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the projectile is only fired vertically and not given any horizontal velocity, it will rise against gravity until it reaches its maximum height and then fall back to the surface of the Earth due to gravity. It will not go into circular motion as it does not have any horizontal velocity to maintain the circular path, and the path of the projectile is certain as it moves in a straight line vertically up and down. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

A Projectile Is Fired Vertically from the Surface of the Earth