A ball is dropped from a spacecraft revolving around the earth at a height of `1200km`. What will happen to the ball ? .

Options

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

To solve the problem of what happens to a ball dropped from a spacecraft revolving around the Earth at a height of 1200 km, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the scenario
The ball is dropped from a spacecraft that is in orbit around the Earth. At the moment of release, the ball has the same tangential velocity as the spacecraft.

**Hint:** Remember that objects in orbit are moving at a certain speed due to the balance of gravitational force and the centrifugal force.

### Step 2: Analyze the forces acting on the ball
When the ball is dropped, it is initially in free fall. The gravitational force acts on the ball, pulling it towards the Earth. However, since the ball was moving with the spacecraft, it retains its orbital velocity at the moment of release.

**Hint:** Consider the concept of inertia; the ball will continue to move in the direction it was moving before it was released.

### Step 3: Determine the motion of the ball
As the ball is released, it will not fall straight down towards the Earth. Instead, it will continue to move forward in the direction it was traveling, following a curved path due to the gravitational pull of the Earth. This path will be a trajectory that is tangential to the orbit of the spacecraft at the point of release.

**Hint:** Think about how projectiles behave when they are launched; they follow a curved path due to gravity.

### Step 4: Conclusion
The ball will continue to move in a path that is tangential to the orbit of the spacecraft at the moment of release. It will not fall directly to the Earth nor will it drift away into space. Instead, it will follow a trajectory that will eventually lead it towards the Earth, but it will initially move along the same orbital path as the spacecraft.

**Final Answer:** The ball will continue to move in its orbit along a path tangential to the spacecraft's orbit.

### Summary of Steps:
1. Understand the scenario of the ball being dropped from the spacecraft.
2. Analyze the forces acting on the ball after it is released.
3. Determine the motion of the ball based on its initial velocity.
4. Conclude that the ball will follow a curved path due to gravity, moving tangentially to the spacecraft's orbit.