Final answer:
The final vertical velocity of the soccer ball just before hitting the ground is -12 m/s. The negative sign indicates the ball is moving downward.
Step-by-step explanation:
Calculating Final Vertical Velocity of a Soccer Ball
To calculate the final vertical velocity of a soccer ball right before it hits the ground, we'll use the principles of kinematics. The initial vertical velocity of the ball is 12 m/s and gravitation acceleration is 9.8 m/s2. Since the only force acting on the ball in the vertical direction is gravity, the final vertical velocity can be found using the equation vf = vi + a * t, where vf is the final velocity, vi is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration due to gravity, and t is the time of flight. However, we do not need to calculate the time of flight because the final vertical velocity (in magnitude) will be equal to the initial vertical velocity (in magnitude) when the ball reaches ground level again, as the effects of gravity would have fully reversed the initial vertical speed, disregarding air resistance.
Therefore, the final vertical velocity of the soccer ball just before impact will be -12 m/s, where the negative sign indicates the direction is downwards towards the ground.