A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a tower at the same instant that a stone is dropped vertically.Which object is traveling faster when it hits the level ground below if we neglect air?
A)It is impossible to tell because we do not know their masses.
B)the stone
C)the ball
D)Both are traveling at the same speed.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since both objects are dropped from the same height, they will both have the same initial potential energy. The stone will only experience a vertical acceleration due to gravity, while the ball will experience both a vertical acceleration due to gravity and a horizontal acceleration due to its initial velocity. However, since air resistance is neglected, there is no force acting against the ball's horizontal motion. Therefore, the ball will hit the ground with a greater horizontal velocity than the stone, making it the faster object when it hits the ground.

A Ball Is Thrown Horizontally from the Top of a Tower