What happens to a ball when it is thrown into the air?

When a ball is thrown into the air, gravity plays a crucial role in its motion. As the ball rises, it is initially propelled upwards by the force of the throw. However, gravity exerts a continuous downward force on the ball, which eventually slows it down as it ascends. This upward motion continues until the ball reaches its highest point, known as the peak or apex. At this point, the upward velocity of the ball becomes zero before it starts to descend. Due to the influence of gravity, the ball is pulled back down towards the Earth.

This phenomenon illustrates how gravity affects the trajectory of thrown objects, leading them to ascend to a height and then descend as a result of gravitational pull. Understanding this concept helps in grasping the principles of projectile motion, which is foundational in physics. The other options do not accurately describe the behavior of the ball when thrown into the air, as they ignore the critical role of gravity in the motion of the ball.