After a baseball player throws a baseball, the ball separates from the player's hand but begins to move in the same direction. Which statement explains this phenomenon?

The phenomenon you are referring to is known as the conservation of momentum. According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the case of a baseball player throwing a baseball, the action is the force exerted by the player on the ball while throwing it. As a result of this action, an equal and opposite reaction force is exerted by the ball on the player's hand.

When the ball separates from the player's hand, the momentum of the ball continues in the same direction as the player's throw. This is because momentum is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity, and momentum is conserved in the absence of external forces. Since the ball and the player are part of a closed system, where no external forces are acting upon them, the total momentum of the system remains constant.

Therefore, the ball continues to move in the same direction as the player's throw because the momentum it gained from the throw is conserved. This is why the ball separates from the player's hand but continues to move forward.

This phenomenon is explained by Newton's third law of motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the baseball player throws the baseball, they exert a force on the ball, propelling it forward. According to Newton's third law, the ball simultaneously exerts an equal and opposite force on the player's hand. This reaction force causes the ball to separate from the player's hand and move in the same direction as the throw.