What is its acceleration just before and just after reaching this point? (Ignore air resistance.)
a. less than g
b. equal to g
c. greater than g
To determine the acceleration just before and just after reaching a certain point, we need to consider the acceleration due to gravity (which we will denote as 'g').
Before reaching the point:
Just before reaching the point, if we are considering an object in free fall, the only force acting on it is gravity. In this case, the acceleration of the object is equal to the acceleration due to gravity (g). Thus, the answer is (b) equal to g.
After reaching the point:
Just after reaching the point, the object is still in free fall, and gravity is still acting on it. Therefore, the acceleration remains the same as before, which is equal to g. So, the answer is also (b) equal to g.
Therefore, the correct answer is (b) equal to g for both before and after reaching the point, assuming no other forces are in play and air resistance is ignored.