The correct answer is:
the distance of the orbiting object to Earth.
In fact, we know that the gravitational force that keeps the object in circular motion around the Earth is equal to the centripetal force, so we can write:
If we re-arrange the equation, we find an expression for the tangential speed of the object:
and we see that it depends on 3 quantities: G, M (the mass of the Earth) and r (the distance of the object from the Earth).
To develop this problem, it is necessary to apply the concepts related to the description of the movement through the kinematic trajectory equations, which include displacement, velocity and acceleration.
The trajectory equation from the motion kinematic equations is given by
Where,
a = acceleration
t = time
= Initial velocity
= initial position
In addition to this we know that speed, speed is the change of position in relation to time. So
x = Displacement
t = time
With the data we have we can find the time as well
With the equation of motion and considering that we have no initial position, that the initial velocity is also zero then and that the acceleration is gravity,
Therefore the vertical distance that the ball drops as it moves from the pitcher to the catcher is 1.46m.