When an object is thrown upward, the force of gravity is _____

The correct answer is opposite to the direction of motion.

Key Points

• When an object is thrown upwards, the force of gravity acts downward, opposite to the direction of the object's motion.
• The force of gravity is a constant force that always acts towards the center of the Earth.
• As the object moves upward, it slows down due to the gravitational pull acting against it.
• Once the object reaches its peak height, gravity causes it to accelerate back downwards.

Additional Information

• Gravity:
  • Gravity is a natural phenomenon by which all things with mass or energy are brought towards one another, including objects ranging from atoms and photons to planets and stars.
  • On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects and causes the ocean tides.
  • It is approximately 9.8 m/s² on the surface of Earth.
• Newton's Laws of Motion:
  • Newton's First Law states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force.
  • Newton's Second Law states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object times its acceleration (F = ma).
  • Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
• Projectile Motion:
  • Projectile motion is a form of motion experienced by an object or particle that is thrown near the Earth's surface and moves along a curved path under the action of gravity only.
  • This curved path was shown by Galileo to be a parabola, but may also be more generally any type of conic section.
• Peak Height:
  • The peak height in projectile motion is the highest vertical position along the object's trajectory.
  • At this point, the vertical component of the velocity is zero.