Question

In the absence of air friction, which component of a projectile's velocity will remain constant as the projectile moves?

A) Horizontal velocity
B) Vertical velocity
C) Total velocity
D) Angular velocity

Answer 1

The horizontal velocity of a projectile remains constant in the absence of air friction as it is not affected by gravity, which only influences the vertical motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the absence of air friction, the component of a projectile's velocity that remains constant as the projectile moves is the horizontal velocity. This is because there are no additional forces acting in the horizontal direction after the projectile is launched. Gravity only affects the vertical component of the motion, causing the vertical velocity to change over time due to acceleration or deceleration. Consequently, the horizontal motion is a constant velocity when no air resistance is present, which is useful for applications such as ensuring that fireworks fragments do not fall on spectators.