Question

newton imagined a cannon fired horizontally from the top of a high mountain. the faster the cannonballs speed, the farther it would travel. if it were fired with enough speed, what would happen?

it would travel all the way around earth and keep going, overcoming air resistance.

it would travel all the way around earth and have just enough energy to return to its starting point at a much reduced velocity.

it would travel all the way around earth and keep going, if air resistance were not a factor.

even if air resistance were not a factor, it would still hit the ground, but more rapidly than if fired at a slower speed.

Explanation:

Newton's cannonball thought experiment assumes negligible air resistance. At sufficient speed, the cannonball's horizontal motion matches Earth's curvature, leading to orbit or escape. The correct option accounts for air resistance as a necessary exclusion for continuous motion.

Answer:

It would travel all the way around Earth and keep going, if air resistance were not a factor.