The Amazing Gonzo's Vertical Acceleration Mystery

What was Gonzo’s vertical acceleration at the top of his flight?

a. 0 b. 10 m/s² c. -10 m/s² d. 9.64 m/s²

Final answer:

The vertical acceleration of Gonzo at the top of his flight is approximately -10 m/s².

Explanation:

The question revolves around Gonzo's vertical acceleration at the peak of his flight journey after being shot out of a cannon. In the scenario of projectile motion, such as Gonzo's cannon launch, the vertical movement is entirely dictated by gravity.

The force of gravity tugs at projectiles, causing them to accelerate towards the Earth at a rate of approximately -9.8 m/s² (the negative sign indicates the force acts in the opposite direction to the object's initial motion). When Gonzo reaches the apex or the highest point of his journey, his vertical velocity momentarily hits zero. However, the acceleration due to gravity still holds constant at approximately -9.8 m/s².

Given this physics concept, the correct answer to the mystery lies in option (c) -10 m/s². The approximation to -10 m/s² is a common simplification in textbook problems for ease of understanding, whereas the precise value in reality is -9.8 m/s².

For a deeper understanding of Projectile Motion, you can explore more here: (ignore URL)