Project a cannonball from atop Newton's hypothetical mountain at 8 km/s and it orbits Earth. Project it at 9 km/s and the shape of the orbit is
A)a somewhat larger circle.
B)a wide parabola.
C)an ellipse.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a cannonball is projected from a height atop a mountain on Earth's surface, it gains potential energy. If it is projected at more than the escape velocity of Earth (11.2 km/s), it will escape Earth's gravity and venture off into space. However, if it is projected at a velocity between Earth's escape velocity and orbital velocity (7.9 km/s), it will follow an elliptical orbit around Earth. Thus, the choice is (C) an ellipse.

Project a Cannonball from Atop Newton's Hypothetical Mountain at 8