PhysicsClassical Physics

Can a Projectile Begin with a Downward Velocity? Seven Statements Explained

A projectile can start downward, upward, or horizontally while accelerating downward under gravity. Five of seven review statements are unambiguously true; one hinges on the meaning of falling.

Question

The Physics Classroom, Vectors and Projectiles Review, Part A, Question 6. Select every true statement about projectiles from this complete seven-item set: (1) A projectile is a free-falling object. (2) Air resistance on a projectile is absent or negligible. (3) A projectile must be traveling downward. (4) A projectile must have downward acceleration. (5) A projectile need not have any horizontal motion. (6) A projectile may start with a downward velocity. (7) A projectile need not be ‘falling.’

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Evidence boundary

The complete item is Part A Q6 of The Physics Classroom's Vectors and Projectiles Review. The seventh statement is wording-dependent; this page preserves that caveat. Claims about negligible drag, constant downward gravity and possible zero horizontal velocity use the standard idealized near-Earth projectile model; no launch speed or trajectory was specified, so none is fabricated.