Final answer:
Whether an object is dropped or thrown at an angle, the acceleration due to gravity remains constant at g = 9.80 m/s² downward toward the center of the Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an object is thrown upward at an angle, its acceleration remains the same as in free fall, namely acceleration due to gravity (g), which is approximately 9.80 m/s² directed downward towards the center of Earth. Despite the object having a component of velocity in the upwards direction and possibly a horizontal component as well, gravity still acts on the object with constant acceleration, pulling it downwards.
The only difference in this scenario from vertical free fall is that the object follows a parabolic trajectory due to the initial velocity at an angle. However, irrespective of the motion's direction, the acceleration due to gravity is constant and directed downward, so its magnitude is g = 9.80 m/s² with the direction defined as negative if we consider upwards as positive, according to our coordinate system.