JEE Main Physics question
**Assertion:** Generally, the path of a projectile from the earth is parabolic, but it is elliptical for projectiles going to a very great height.
**Reason:** Up to ordinary heights, the projectile moves under a uniform gravitational field, but for great heights, the projectile moves under a variable force.
Answer: (A)
Solution
Strictly, every unpowered trajectory under gravity is a segment of a Kepler ellipse with earth's centre at a focus. For heights small compared to , the field is very nearly uniform, and the ellipse is so eccentric and large that the visible arc looks parabolic — so the
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