A ball is thrown horizontally from a cliff. At the same moment, another ball is dropped straight down from the same height. Which hits the ground first?
AThe dropped ball
BThe thrown ball
CThey hit at the same time
DIt depends on how hard the ball was thrown
Both balls have the same initial vertical velocity (zero) and the same gravitational acceleration. The horizontal throw does not affect vertical fall time, so they hit the ground simultaneously.
Question 2 True / False
During projectile motion (ignoring air resistance), the horizontal speed of the object remains constant.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
With no horizontal forces acting (air resistance ignored), there is nothing to change the horizontal velocity. Only the vertical velocity changes, due to gravity.
Question 3 Short Answer
Why does a projectile follow a curved path instead of a straight line?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Because the constant horizontal velocity combines with a continuously increasing downward velocity from gravity, creating a curved (parabolic) trajectory.
The horizontal and vertical components of motion combine. The vertical speed keeps increasing due to gravity while the horizontal speed stays the same, bending the path into a curve.