Question

An ball is thrown straight up with an initial velocity v. What will be the maximum height reached by the ball?

1) Cannot be determined
2) v/2g
3) v²/2g
4) 2v/g

Answer 1

The maximum height reached by a ball thrown straight up can be determined using the equation h = v² / (2g), where h is the maximum height, v is the initial velocity, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The maximum height reached by a ball thrown straight up with an initial velocity v can be determined using the equation h = v² / (2g), where h is the maximum height and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s²).

This equation shows that the maximum height depends only on the square of the initial velocity and the acceleration due to gravity. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is v² / (2g), option 3.

For example, if the initial velocity (v) is 20 m/s, the maximum height (h) can be calculated as h = (20 m/s)² / (2 * 9.8 m/s2) = 204.08 m.