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A ball is thrown vertically upwards and falls back to Earth - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 2 - 2016
Question 2
A ball is thrown vertically upwards and falls back to Earth. Neglecting air resistance, which velocity-time graph represents its motion?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A ball is thrown vertically upwards and falls back to Earth - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 2 - 2016
Step 1
Identify the Motion of the Ball
Answer
The ball is initially thrown upwards, which means it will have a positive velocity. As it rises, it will decelerate due to gravity until it reaches its highest point where the velocity becomes zero. Then, the ball will start descending, accelerating downwards until it reaches the ground.
Step 2
Analyze the Velocity-Time Graphs
Answer
When analyzing the provided options (A to E), it's important to identify key characteristics:
- The graph should start with a positive velocity, indicating the upward motion.
- The graph should slope downwards, indicating a decrease in velocity until it reaches zero.
- After reaching the peak, the graph should show a negative velocity as the ball descends, demonstrating an increase in speed towards the ground.
Among the options, Graph A fits this description perfectly. It starts with a positive velocity (upwards), decreases to zero (peak), and then becomes negative (downwards).
Step 3