Final answer:
The vertical component of a projectile's velocity changes due to gravity, causing it to decrease on the way up, halt briefly at the top, and then increase on the way down, just like in freefall.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement in question is false. In the absence of air resistance, the vertical component of a projectile's velocity does change as the projectile moves upward and downward due to the force of gravity. When evaluating projectile motion, it is crucial to acknowledge that while the horizontal velocity remains constant in the absence of air resistance, the vertical component varies because the projectile is accelerated by gravity (9.81 m/s2 downward). Therefore, an object in projectile motion does not maintain a constant vertical velocity; instead, its velocity decreases as it moves upwards, comes to a momentary halt at the peak of its trajectory, and then increases in the downward direction as it falls back to the ground - a characteristic it shares with an object in freefall. This concept is fundamental to understanding the two-dimensional motion of projectiles.