Does a Ball Dropped from a Rising Hot Air Balloon Continue Ascending?

AI Thread Summary
When a ball is dropped from a rising hot air balloon, it initially retains the balloon's upward velocity of 19.6 m/s. For approximately two seconds, the ball continues to ascend before gravity causes it to decelerate and eventually fall. Observers in the balloon will see the ball drop away, while ground observers will note its upward motion decreasing over time. The discussion highlights the difference in perception between observers in the balloon and those on the ground. Ultimately, the ball's trajectory is influenced by its initial velocity and the force of gravity acting on it.
Sammy101
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Hi,

I was watching a hot air balloon show, and one of the demonstrations was someone dropping a ball out of a rising hot air balloon. If a hot air balloon is rising at let's say 19.6m/s, and you drop a ball directly down, will the ball continue to rise for two seconds because it has an intial velocity of 19.6 m/s before the ball starts to fall?
 
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Yes.

The ball begins to decelerate immediately (under gravity) and therefore, from the point of view of the balloon observer, the ball will fall away from the balloon as soon as it is let go.

However, from the point of view of the ground observer, the ball's velocity remains positive (although decreasing) for 2 seconds before it begins to descend.
 
Sammy101 said:
If a hot air balloon is rising at let's say 19.6m/s,
A hot air balloon rising at 20m/s??
 

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