Final answer:
Without the altitude of the airplane, we can't calculate the exact answer for how far the projectile travels before hitting the ground and its speed on impact. The horizontal speed remains constant at 300 m/s, but we need the altitude to determine the time in the air and the vertical speed component on impact.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how far in front of the release point the projectile hits the ground and its speed upon hitting the ground, we need to consider the horizontal and vertical motions separately because they are independent in projectile motion (ignoring air resistance).
Part (a) requires calculating the horizontal distance traveled by the projectile when it hits the ground. Since the vertical motion does not affect the horizontal motion, we can make use of the formula: distance = speed × time. We need the time the projectile takes to fall to the ground, which depends entirely on the initial vertical position of the airplane and the acceleration due to gravity.
For part (b) the speed when it hits the ground, we need to find the final horizontal (which remains constant at 300 m/s) and vertical velocities (which will change due to gravity). The final speed is the vector sum of the horizontal and vertical components.
To select the correct option, we need to know the altitude at which the projectile is released; since we don't have that information, we can't complete the calculation. However, from the provided options, we can say that option (a) suggests the correct horizontal velocity upon impact but doesn't provide us with an altitude to substantiate the claim for distance traveled.