Question

A baseball is thrown by the center-fielder (from shoulder level) to home plate where it is caught (on the fly at shoulder level) by the catcher. At what point is the ball's acceleration at a minimum? (Air resistance is negligible.)

Answer 1

Acceleration is at a minimum at the top of the baseball's arc due to the vertical velocity component being zero; however, the acceleration due to gravity remains constant at 9.8 m/s^2 throughout the trajectory.

Step-by-step explanation:

The acceleration of a baseball thrown by a center-fielder to the home plate catcher is at a minimum when the ball is at the highest point of its trajectory. In the absence of air resistance, the only force acting on the baseball once it leaves the thrower's hand is the force of gravity, which causes a constant downward acceleration of 9.8 m/s2. At the highest point of its arc, the vertical component of the baseball's velocity is zero, although acceleration remains constant throughout the ball's flight due to gravity. Therefore, when asking for acceleration at a minimum, it suggests a misunderstanding, as the acceleration remains consistent at 9.8 m/s2 downward throughout its path.