A Level Physics Practice Exam

What kind of path does a ball thrown with both vertical and horizontal velocity components follow?

1. A straight line

2. A spiral path

3. A parabolic path

4. An elliptical path

The correct answer is: A parabolic path

A ball thrown with both vertical and horizontal velocity components follows a parabolic path due to the influence of gravity acting on the ball throughout its motion. When the ball is projected, it has an initial velocity that can be resolved into two components: one in the horizontal direction and another in the vertical direction. The horizontal component of velocity remains constant because there are no horizontal forces acting on the ball, assuming air resistance is negligible. In contrast, the vertical component of velocity changes due to the uniform acceleration caused by gravity, which pulls the ball downward at a constant rate. As the ball travels forward horizontally while simultaneously rising and eventually falling, this combination results in a curved trajectory, specifically a parabola. The mathematical representation of such motion describes a quadratic relationship between the horizontal distance traveled and the vertical height, which reflects the characteristics of a parabolic shape. This is why the correct answer is that the ball follows a parabolic path.