Question

A ball is thrown horizontally at a speed of 20 m/s from the top of a cliff. As the speed of the ball is decreased, the time required for the ball to fall 30 m will:

1) increase
2) decrease
3) remain the same

Answer 1

The time it takes for a ball thrown horizontally from a cliff to fall 30 m is only affected by gravity and remains the same regardless of the ball's horizontal speed.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a cliff, the time it takes to fall a certain distance, such as 30 m, depends only on the vertical component of its velocity and the acceleration due to gravity. Since the ball is thrown horizontally, its initial vertical velocity is 0 m/s. The horizontal speed of the ball does not affect the time it takes to fall; this time remains the same even if the horizontal speed is decreased. This is because the vertical motion (free fall) and horizontal motion are independent of one another in projectile motion.

The time required for the ball to fall 30 m will remain the same regardless of changes in the horizontal speed.