Question

Suppose that a passenger intent on lunch during his first ride in a hot-air balloon accidently drops an apple over the side during the balloon’s liftoff. At the moment of the apple’s release, the balloon is accelerating upward with a magnitude of 4.0 m/s2 and has an upward velocity of magnitude 2 m/s.What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the apple just after it is released?

Answer 1

The acceleration comes from the net force acting on the apple. When the apple is released from the balloon, the only force acting on the apple is gravity. The acceleration is the acceleration due to gravity.