Question

A student is asked to describe the path of a paper airplane that is thrown in the classroom.

Which statement best describes the path of the paper airplane?

The paper airplane will move in a straight line, according to Newton’s first law of motion.
The paper airplane will drop straight to the ground once its inertia gives in to the force of gravity.
The paper airplane will create a curved path toward the floor as it is pulled toward Earth’s center.
The paper airplane will orbit around the desk because it is the object with the largest mass in the room.

Answer 1

"The paper airplane will create a curved path toward the floor as it is pulled toward Earth’s center."

Reason: the airplane has an initial horizontal velocity (inertia) but gravity constantly accelerates it downward, so the combination produces a curved (approximately parabolic) trajectory. Air resistance modifies the shape slightly, but it is not a straight line, it does not "give in" to gravity and drop straight down immediately, and it cannot orbit the desk (not enough speed and the desk's gravity is negligible).