Answer Two Balls Thrown: Which Touches Ground First?

[usmarine]

This is an actual question on a test that I took yesterday and I want to know the answer.

"Two balls are thrown at the same time. The first ball is dropped. The second ball is thrown slightly on a curve. Which will touch the ground first?"

A. The first ball.
B. The second ball.
C. They will touch the ground at the same time.

Note: That's all the information that I was given.

I chose C. ...just because I really couldn't decide based on the information given in the question.

 

[kuruman]

"Slightly on a curve" leaves room for interpretation. If it means that the second ball has a small horizontal component of initial velocity but no vertical component, then you are correct. In my opinion this is a poorly phrased question, slightly.

 

[Phrak]

Can you post the question verbatum--as it was written?

 

[usmarine]

That is the exact phrasing of the question. All of the questions were phrased like this.

 

[Phrak]

It's a nonsensical question. Whoever composed the question missed some education in both the subject and English language.