A group of scientists is trying to launch an object into orbit, and the object is traveling at 6500 m/s. Which best explains why the object will not successfully orbit Earth?

For an object to orbit Earth, it must travel sideways fast enough that as it falls, Earth’s surface curves away beneath it. A speed of 6,500 m/s is below the speed typically needed for a low Earth orbit, about 7,800 m/s, so the object would fall back toward Earth rather than keep orbiting. Therefore, choice C, “The object is not traveling fast enough to match Earth’s curvature,” is correct.

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