Final answer:
When the initial velocity of the baseball is stated as 4.3 m/s at 42 degrees below the horizontal, it means the ball is being thrown downward at an angle. To solve the problem, you need to break down the velocity into horizontal and vertical components.
Step-by-step explanation:
When it is stated that the initial velocity of the baseball is 4.3 m/s at 42 degrees below the horizontal, it means that the ball is being thrown with a velocity of 4.3 m/s at an angle of 42 degrees below the horizontal line. The horizontal line here represents a flat surface.
To solve the problem, you can break down the initial velocity into its horizontal and vertical components. The horizontal component represents the ball's motion parallel to the ground, while the vertical component represents the ball's motion in the vertical direction.
In this case, the ball is thrown downward, so it has a negative vertical component of velocity. The negative sign indicates that the ball is moving downward instead of upward.