Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
From a hot-air balloon hovering above a field, a man drops ball A. At the same moment, a boy on the field below throws ball B straight up at . Ignoring the air:
Two bodies in free fall have the same acceleration, so relative to each other they move at a steady velocity. Their meeting time is the gap divided by their relative speed.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Meeting time. .
Step 2. Height. A has fallen , so it is up.
Step 3. Ball B's velocity. : B is already falling.
Answer: (a) . (b) . (c) No: it reached its top at and is falling at .
Check. B's height: . They agree.
Watch out. Gravity does not change how fast the gap closes, because it pulls both balls the same way.
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