Question

Balls 1 and 2 are each thrown horizontally from the same height above level ground, but ball 2 has a greater initial velocity after leaving the thrower's hand. If air resistance is negligible, how do the accelerations of the balls and the times it takes them to hit the ground compare?

Answer 1

In the absence of air resistance, both balls, regardless of their initial velocities, will have the same acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s²) near the surface of the Earth. This is because gravity acts on all objects equally, regardless of their initial velocities.

Therefore, the accelerations of both balls will be the same, which is 9.8 m/s² downward.

Regarding the time it takes for the balls to hit the ground, it will depend on their initial velocities and the height from which they are thrown. The ball with the greater initial velocity will take less time to hit the ground, assuming they are both thrown from the same height.

So, to summarize:
- Both balls have the same acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²).
- The ball with the greater initial velocity will take less time to hit the ground when thrown from the same height.