Final answer:
The statement is false; while the baseball will have the same speed when it returns to the starting point, its velocity will be in the opposite direction due to gravity's influence on the motion. (option b)
Step-by-step explanation:
A baseball thrown vertically upwards with an initial velocity will have the same final velocity when it returns to the starting point, assuming no air resistance. The statement is false. When a baseball is thrown vertically upwards, it will slow down due to gravity until it reaches its maximum height (where velocity is zero), and then start to fall back down, accelerating due to gravity. When the ball returns to the starting point, its velocity will have the same magnitude but opposite direction (downwards) as the initial velocity (upwards).
The statement "initial velocity and final velocity are equal" contradicts the principles of projectile motion. If the baseball were to return to the starting point, it would have to follow a symmetrical trajectory, and the final velocity would have the same magnitude but opposite direction to the initial velocity.
The initial and final velocities of a baseball thrown vertically upwards and returning to the starting point are not equal. The magnitude of the final velocity is equal to the initial velocity, but their directions are opposite due to the effects of gravity during the ascent and descent phases.