Gravity — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A ball dropped from 2 meters and another from 4 meters both fall freely. Which hits the ground first?
A) The 2-meter ball lands first
B) The 4-meter ball lands first
C) Both land at the same time
D) Neither ball lands at all
Both accelerate equally, but the shorter drop takes less time to reach the ground.
2. A student throws a ball straight up. What happens to its speed on the way up?
A) It speeds up because of gravity
B) It slows down because gravity pulls down
C) It keeps the same speed forever
D) It stops moving immediately
Gravity acts downward, removing speed until the ball briefly stops at the top.
3. A projectile is thrown sideways from a cliff. What shape does its path make?
A) A perfectly straight line
B) A circle that loops back
C) A curved arc downward
D) A zigzag line in the air
Constant horizontal speed plus downward gravity produces a parabolic curve.
4. Two balls of different masses are dropped together in a vacuum. Which lands first?
A) The heavier ball lands first
B) The lighter ball lands first
C) They land at the same time
D) Neither ball ever lands
Without air, gravity gives every object the same acceleration regardless of mass.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. When a ball is thrown straight up, gravity makes it slow down on the way up.
Downward gravity reduces upward speed each second.
2. A projectile thrown sideways follows a curved path called a parabola.
Gravity bends the otherwise straight horizontal path into a parabolic curve.
3. The horizontal speed of a projectile stays nearly constant because gravity acts only downward.
Gravity affects vertical motion only, so horizontal speed stays steady (ignoring air drag).
4. Without air, a feather and a hammer dropped together hit the ground at the same time.
In a vacuum, all masses accelerate equally under gravity.
5. A ball dropped from a higher point hits the ground with a greater speed than one from lower.
Longer fall under gravity produces a higher final speed at impact.