Final answer:
The acceleration direction of a charged particle released upward depends on the charge: a positively charged particle accelerates upward and a negatively charged particle accelerates downward in a uniform electric field. Option third is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the acceleration direction of a charged particle released with an upward initial velocity in the presence of a uniform electric field. According to physics principles, the force on a charged particle in an electric field depends on the charge's sign.
A positively charged particle accelerates in the direction of the electric field, while a negatively charged particle accelerates opposite to it. Therefore, the direction of acceleration for a charged particle released with an upward initial velocity depends on whether the charge is positive or negative. This is due to the electric force being either attractive or repulsive depending on the charge, as opposed to the gravitational force, which is always attractive.
If we have an upward electric field, a positively charged particle would accelerate upwards, while a negatively charged particle would accelerate downwards. The motion will also depend on the initial conditions like velocity and the magnitude of the electric field.
The final answer to the student's question is thus that a charged particle released with upward initial velocity will accelerate either upward or downward depending on its charge.