How does the vertical component of a projectile’s motion compare with the motion of vertical free fall when air resistance is negligible? 1. It cannot be determined. 2. Less than that of free fall 3. Greater than that of free fall 4. Identical to that of
1 Answer
Dec 9, 2017
It is (D) identical to free fall.
Explanation:
Vertical motion is completely (and unexpectedly) independent of horizontal motion, so an object in free fall and one fired horizontally from the same height reach the ground at exactly the same time if we can discount air resistance.
There’s a good version of the classic physics demonstration here:
