Final answer:
The physics problem asks about the horizontal distance a crate will travel as it falls from a cargo plane. None of the provided answer choices match the calculated horizontal distance of approximately 12.25 km. Hence, based on the available options and the calculations, the answer cannot be determined accurately.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Physics, specifically kinematics, the study of motion without considering the forces that cause the motion. Assuming air resistance is negligible, the crate will continue to move horizontally at the same speed of the cargo plane which is 900 km/h. To calculate the horizontal distance traveled by the crate before it hits the ground, we need to determine how long it will take for the crate to fall from an altitude of 12 km.
To find the time, we use the equation of motion for free-falling objects, s = (1/2)gt², where s is the distance, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s² or approximately 10 m/s² for simplicity in this context), and t is the time. Since we are dealing with kilometers for altitude and speed, we convert the altitude to meters, 12 km = 12,000 meters. Solving for time, t, gives us the square root of (2*12,000 m) / 10 m/s². This gives us a time of roughly 49 seconds.
Next, we calculate the horizontal distance traveled in that time at a constant speed of 900 km/h. Since 900 km/h is equivalent to 250 m/s (by converting kilometers to meters and hours to seconds), the horizontal distance is d = v*t, or 250 m/s * 49 s, which equals 12,250 meters or 12.25 kilometers. Therefore, the horizontal distance traveled by the falling crate is 12.25 km, which is not explicitly listed in the options. Since 12.25 km is not much larger than 900 km/h (distance plane travels in an hour), the closest answer might be taken as (2) 900 km, though this is not accurate, suggesting none of the provided options are correct or the question might need clarification.