Final answer:
To calculate the horizontal travel distance of a launched object, Newton's Second Law of Motion is crucial, as it relates to how forces cause accelerations. This principle is essential for understanding projectile motion without the influence of air resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate how far an object travels in the horizontal direction when launched, the fundamental physical principle that is essential is b) Newton's Second Law of Motion. Newton's Second Law explains how an outside force causes an acceleration (and changes the momentum) for an object. The horizontal distance (also known as range) of a projectile is influenced by the initial velocity and the angle of launch, taking into account the acceleration due to gravity. This law helps in predicting the projectile motion, assuming that there is no air resistance.
Newton's law of universal gravitation explains the paths of c) A planet moving around the sun. Whereas, Hooke's Law is related to the restoring force and displacement concerning springs and elasticity.