Question

A baseball is thrown from the outfield toward the catcher. When the ball reaches its highest point, which statement is true?

(a) Its velocity and its acceleration are both zero.

(b) Its velocity is not zero, but its acceleration is zero.

(c) Its velocity is perpendicular to its acceleration.

(d) Its acceleration depends on the angle at which the ball was thrown.

(e) None of statements (a) through (d) is true

Short answer

When the ball reaches its highest pointThe rate of descent is increasing.

Option (c) is the right answer

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Define horizontal and vertical component

A force's horizontal component is the projection of the force vector on the horizontal axis. Similarly, the vertical component is the projection of the vector on the vertical axis. The vector sum of the horizontal and vertical component will give back the original vector.

Explanation

At the highest point, vertical component of the velocity becomes zero but horizontal component is non zero.

The ball's vertical velocity is zero at the highest point. So, the ball's resultant velocity is horizontal at this point, and the gravitational acceleration is still acting downward. $\left(a_x=0,a_y=-g\right).$

The only correct choice given for this question is (c).

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