Question

In a physics problem involving two falling balls, what is the value of initial vertical velocity, Vyi, for both balls?

a) Zero
b) 9.8
c) -42
d) None of these

Answer 1

The initial vertical velocity, Vyi, for two balls being dropped would be zero since they start from rest with no upward or downward initial motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of two falling balls in a physics problem, if we assume they are dropped and not thrown horizontally or vertically with some initial speed, the initial vertical velocity, Vyi, for both balls would be zero. When an object starts from rest and begins to fall solely under the influence of gravity, its initial vertical velocity is indeed 0 m/s.

This scenario can be related to a falling object (one-dimensional motion) if they are simply dropped, or to a projectile motion if they are given an initial horizontal velocity. For example, if a ball is thrown horizontally from a height, it has an initial vertical velocity of 0 m/s but will have a non-zero horizontal velocity. On the other hand, the acceleration due to gravity acting on the ball is -9.8 m/s², which affects the ball's vertical motion throughout its descent.