In order to understand why some combinations of alkyl halides and nucleophiles give a substitution reaction, whereas other combinations give elimination, and still others give no observable reaction, we must investigate systematically the way in which changes in reaction variables perturb the course of the reaction.
It's true - the ISS moves at about 17,000 mph (~28,000 kph). Now for your other questions: 1. When it's not using its onboard engines to adjust its orbit, the station is in free-fall*. This means that gravitational interaction with the earth maintains the station's orbit, and thus its speed.
For the Earth, this speed is 11200 meters per second, or about 25,000 miles per hour. No, the spacecraft will not continue at that speed -- gravity will constantly pull the spacecraft towards the Earth and slow it down.