Which arrow best represents the path of an object launched horizontally from a height, neglecting air resistance?

• A. A straight vertical line downward
• B. A curved downward path resembling a $parabola$
• C. A curved upward path
• D. A straight horizontal line

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that when an object is launched horizontally from a height, it has an initial horizontal velocity but no initial vertical velocity.
2. Recognize that gravity acts downward, causing a constant acceleration in the vertical direction, while there is no acceleration in the horizontal direction (neglecting air resistance).
3. Recall that the horizontal motion is uniform (constant velocity), and the vertical motion is uniformly accelerated (due to gravity).
4. Combine these two motions: the object moves forward horizontally at a constant speed while simultaneously accelerating downward, resulting in a curved path.
5. Identify that this curved path is a parabola, which is why the correct representation is a curved downward path resembling a parabola.