Question

A ball with a horizontal speed of 1.25 m/s rolls off a bench 1.00 m above the floor. What is the initial vertical speed of the ball as it leaves the bench?

1) 0 m/s
2) 1.25 m/s
3) 2.50 m/s
4) 9.81 m/s²

Answer 1

The ball has an initial vertical speed of 0 m/s as it rolls off the bench because it was not given any initial vertical velocity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The initial vertical speed of the ball as it leaves the bench is 0 m/s. This is because the ball is only given a horizontal velocity and no initial vertical velocity when it rolls off the bench. As it rolls off the edge, gravity will begin to accelerate it downwards, but at the exact moment of leaving the bench, its vertical speed is zero. Gravity, which exerts an acceleration of approximately 9.81 m/s², will then increase the vertical speed of the ball as it falls towards the floor.