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Why don’t skateboarders keep flying through the air when they launch off a ramp?The force of gravity works against the skateboarders’ inertia.Skateboard wheels don’t spin fast enough to keep them moving very far.The skateboarders have no inertia when they launch off a ramp.Skateboards do not use Newtons to move around ramps.
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Correct answer: "The force of gravity works against the skateboarders’ inertia."
Explanation: when a skateboarder leaves a ramp they become a projectile. Their inertia wants to keep them moving in a straight line (Newton’s 1st law), mainly carrying them forward, but gravity exerts a downward force (about 9.8 m/s²) that accelerates them toward the ground (Newton’s 2nd law). The combination produces a curved (parabolic) flight and they come back down.
Why the other choices are wrong:
- Wheel spin doesn’t keep them airborne — rotation affects rolling, not how long they stay in the air.
- They do have inertia when they launch off the ramp.
- “Skateboards do not use Newtons” is nonsensical — forces are measured in newtons, and gravity is a force.
Explanation: when a skateboarder leaves a ramp they become a projectile. Their inertia wants to keep them moving in a straight line (Newton’s 1st law), mainly carrying them forward, but gravity exerts a downward force (about 9.8 m/s²) that accelerates them toward the ground (Newton’s 2nd law). The combination produces a curved (parabolic) flight and they come back down.
Why the other choices are wrong:
- Wheel spin doesn’t keep them airborne — rotation affects rolling, not how long they stay in the air.
- They do have inertia when they launch off the ramp.
- “Skateboards do not use Newtons” is nonsensical — forces are measured in newtons, and gravity is a force.
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