Question
A ball is dropped from a satellite revolving around the earth at a height of $$120\,km.$$ The ball will
A.
continue to move with same speed along a straight line tangentially to the satellite at that time
B.
continue to move with the same speed along the original orbit of satellite
C.
fall down to the earth gradually
D.
go far away in space
Answer :
continue to move with the same speed along the original orbit of satellite
Solution :
The ball, when dropped from the orbiting satellite will not reach the surface of the earth. When ball is dropped from the satellite, the ball also starts moving with the same speed due to inertia. As the orbit of a satellite does not depend upon its mass, the ball continues to move along with the satellite in the same orbit.