A ball is thrown straight upward and then returns to the
Earth. Sketch a graph of the speed (not velocity) of this ball
against time. Where does the direction of the ball’s motion
change?
1 answer
The graph of the speed of the ball against time would look like a parabola, with the ball's speed increasing as it is thrown upward, reaching a maximum at the peak of its trajectory, and then decreasing as it returns to the Earth. The direction of the ball's motion changes at the peak of its trajectory, when it begins to fall back to the Earth.