Final answer:
Using the physics equations of motion and the acceleration due to gravity, we can calculate that the ball was in the air for approximately 4.84 seconds from the peak of its trajectory to when it hit the ground.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Physics, and the grade level is most likely High School. Given that the ball is traveling at a speed of -47.5 m/s just before it lands, we can calculate the total time it was in the air using the acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately 9.81 m/s2 (the negative sign indicates direction). The formula v = u + at, where v is the final velocity, u is the initial velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is the time, can be rearranged to solve for t: t = (v - u)/a. Assuming the initial velocity is in the positive direction and equals zero (since we are interested in the time from the peak downwards), we get t = (-47.5 m/s) / (-9.81 m/s2). This yields t = 4.84 seconds (rounded to two decimal places), which is the time it took for the ball to travel from its highest point to the ground.