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Problem 1 - Olympiad

A particle is projected vertically upward with velocity v₀ = √(2gh). At the maximum height, its velocity is observed to decrease linearly with time. What is its acceleration at half the maximum height?

Correct: A

At any height, the acceleration due to gravity acts downward regardless of the velocity's direction. Since the maximum height is determined by energy conservation (height = h), the acceleration remains constant as g downward. Even at half the maximum height, the net vertical acceleration is still g downward. This is because acceleration is independent of the particle's velocity direction in projectile motion.