Final answer:
The curvature of Earth causes the surface to drop about 5 meters for every 8,000 meters tangent to the surface, an important consideration in projectile motion and satellite orbits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The curvature of Earth is such that for every 8,000 meters tangent to the surface, the surface drops by about 5 meters. This decrease in elevation is due to the Earth's spherical shape and is an essential factor for objects in motion over large distances, like projectiles, which have to account for this curvature to accurately predict their trajectory. Furthermore, this concept is significant when considering satellite orbits, where achieving a stable orbit requires accounting for the Earth's curvature as the planet's surface "falls away" from the orbiting object at a consistent rate.