Final answer:
The horizontally thrown stone will hit the ground with a greater overall velocity than the vertically dropped stone because it possesses an initial horizontal velocity in addition to the vertical velocity due to gravity. Option b is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of which object is traveling faster when it hits the ground can be resolved by understanding the principles of projectile motion and free fall. When a stone is thrown horizontally from a height and another is dropped vertically, they both are affected by the same gravitational acceleration, ignoring air resistance. This implies that the vertical component of their velocities will be the same at any given moment.
The key difference between the two stones is that the stone thrown horizontally has an initial horizontal velocity, while the vertically dropped stone does not. As a result, while both stones will hit the ground with the same vertical velocity, the horizontally thrown stone will also have a horizontal velocity component.
Therefore, when considering the combined effect of both horizontal and vertical velocities, the stone thrown horizontally will have a greater overall velocity when it strikes the ground compared to the one that was dropped. Hence, the first stone (the one thrown horizontally) will be traveling faster when it hits the ground.