Final answer:
Projectile motion is described by two components, horizontal and vertical, making Option 3 'Components' the correct answer. These components, subject to gravity and with negligible air resistance, govern the trajectory of the projectile in two-dimensional kinematics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The projectile motion of an object can be best described by its components, which includes two independent one-dimensional motions: the horizontal motion and the vertical motion. The two dimensions allow us to analyze the projectile's path, a concept known as trajectory.
We focus on situations where the object is projected into the air and is subjected primarily to the force of gravity. Air resistance is typically negligible in introductory physics discussions about projectile motion, simplifying the components to just velocity, acceleration due to gravity, and displacement along the x-axis (horizontal) and y-axis (vertical).
The components of acceleration in projectile motion are simplified because, in the absence of air resistance, the only acceleration is due to gravity, acting in the vertical direction.
This type of motion is known as two-dimensional kinematics. The horizontal component of the motion has a constant velocity, while the vertical component has a constantly changing velocity due to the acceleration of gravity.
Thus, when discussing projectile motion and ignoring air resistance, we break it down into two components: horizontal motion, which does not change, and vertical motion, which changes at a constant rate due to gravity.
The correct option to describe projectile motion is components, specifically the horizontal and vertical components, making Option 3 the correct answer to your question.