The relationship between the final velocity of a baseball, just before it strikes the ground, and its starting height can be represented graphically as a parabolic curve.
When an object is dropped from a height, its final velocity just before impact is determined by the height from which it was dropped, owing to the principles of gravitational potential energy converting to kinetic energy. The formula for the final velocity \( v \) in free fall can be approximated by:
\[ v = \sqrt{2gh} \]
where \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 , \text{m/s}^2 \)), and \( h \) is the initial height.
This equation indicates that final velocity is proportional to the square root of the height. Therefore, when plotted, the graph of final velocity vs. starting height would be a curve that rises more steeply as height increases, resembling a square root function.
So, to find the correct graph, look for one that demonstrates a curve starting from the origin (0,0) that rises quickly and levels off as it moves to the right, depicting the relationship where final velocity increases with the square root of height.