Question

during the flight of the cannon ball the magnitude of the cannon balls acceleration
a remains the same
b decreases and then increases
c increases and then decreases
d increases during the entire flight

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the motion of the cannonball

The cannonball is in projectile motion. In projectile motion (neglecting air - resistance), the only force acting on the cannonball is the gravitational force \(F = mg\) (where \(m\) is the mass of the cannonball and \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity, \(g= 9.8\space m/s^{2}\) near the Earth's surface).

Step2: Apply Newton's second law \(F = ma\)

From \(F = ma\), we have \(a=\frac{F}{m}\). Since \(F = mg\), then \(a = g\). The acceleration due to gravity \(g\) acts vertically downwards throughout the flight of the cannonball. Its magnitude \(|g|\approx9.8\space m/s^{2}\) and its direction is always towards the center of the Earth.

Answer:

A. Remains the same