What is the vertical velocity at the highest point of a projectile's flight?

What is the vertical velocity at the highest point of a projectile's flight?

• A. 0 m/s
• B. 9.8 m/s
• C. 5 m/s
• D. 10 m/s

Answer: (A)

At the highest point of a projectile's flight, the vertical component of its velocity is indeed zero meters per second. This is because, as the projectile rises, it gradually slows down due to the force of gravity acting downward. The object continues to ascend until it reaches its maximum height, at which point its upward vertical velocity has decreased to zero before it begins to descend. During the ascent, the projectile loses vertical speed until the moment it stops rising. At this peak, it momentarily pauses before reversing direction, which means there is no vertical motion at that instant. Therefore, understanding that the velocity is a vector quantity, with both magnitude and direction, helps clarify that at the maximum height, the vertical component of the velocity vector is zero.

At the highest point of a projectile's flight, the vertical component of its velocity is indeed zero meters per second. This is because, as the projectile rises, it gradually slows down due to the force of gravity acting downward. The object continues to ascend until it reaches its maximum height, at which point its upward vertical velocity has decreased to zero before it begins to descend.

During the ascent, the projectile loses vertical speed until the moment it stops rising. At this peak, it momentarily pauses before reversing direction, which means there is no vertical motion at that instant. Therefore, understanding that the velocity is a vector quantity, with both magnitude and direction, helps clarify that at the maximum height, the vertical component of the velocity vector is zero.