Question

A ball is thrown straight up. What are the velocity and acceleration of the ball at the highest point in its path?

Answer 1

Answer:

b. v = 0, a = 9.8 m/s² down.

Explanation:

Hi there!

The acceleration of gravity is always directed to the ground (down) and, near the surface of the earth, has a constant value of 9.8 m/s². Since the answer "b" is the only option with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s² directed downwards, that would solve the exercise. But why is the velocity zero at the highest point?

Let´s take a look at the height function:

h(t) = h0 + v0 · t + 1/2 g · t²

Where

h0 = initial height

v0 = initial velocity

t = time

g = acceleration due to gravity

Notice that the function is a negative parabola if we consider downward as negative (in that case "g" would be negative). Then, the function has a maximum (the highest point) at the vertex of the parabola. At the maximum point, the slope of the tangent line to the function is zero, because the tangent line is horizontal at a maximum point. The slope of the tangent line to the function is the rate of change of height with respect to time, i.e, the velocity. Then, the velocity is zero at the maximum height.

Another way to see it (without calculus):

When the ball is going up, the velocity vector points up and the velocity is positive. After reaching the maximum height, the velocity vector points down and is negative (the ball starts to fall). At the maximum height, the velocity vector changed its direction from positive to negative, then at that point, the velocity vector has to be zero.