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15 votes
15 votes
A ball rolls down a hill that leads to a cliff.

How does the ball move when it reaches the edge of the cliff?


C. The ball keeps moving forward and falls downward at the same time.


B. The ball's forward motion ends at the edge of the cliff, where it falls straight down.


A. The ball falls downward in a spiral-shaped path.


The ball's forward motion continues briefly beyond the edge of the cliff, and then it falls straight down.

User Mattsh
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1 Answer

21 votes
21 votes

Answer:

Option C is correct. The ball keeps moving forward and falls downward at the same time.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the ball reaches the edge of the cliff, its forward motion will indeed continue due to its inertia. Inertia is the property of an object to maintain its state of motion. However, gravity will also be acting on the ball, causing it to accelerate downward.

As a result, the ball will move forward and descend downward at the same time. The trajectory of the ball will be a curved path that combines the horizontal motion (forward movement) and the vertical motion (downward fall) simultaneously. This curved path is known as a parabolic trajectory.

The exact shape of the trajectory will depend on factors such as the initial velocity, angle of the cliff, and air resistance. If there is no air resistance and the cliff is not too steep, the ball's trajectory may resemble a smooth parabolic curve. However, if there is air resistance or the cliff is steep, the trajectory might deviate from a perfect parabola.

Eventually, due to the downward acceleration caused by gravity, the ball's vertical motion will dominate, and it will fall straight down. But immediately after reaching the edge of the cliff, the ball will experience a combination of forward motion and downward descent.

User Blankman
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