Which of the following statements correctly reflects the movement of a projectile in relation to gravity?

A projectile under the influence of gravity will follow a curved path, which is known as a parabolic trajectory. This occurs because the only force acting on the projectile after it has been launched is gravity, which pulls it downward towards the Earth. While the projectile moves forward due to its initial horizontal velocity, gravity constantly accelerates it downwards, resulting in the characteristic curved path.

The projectile experiences a vertical acceleration of approximately 9.81 m/s² downward, which alters its position over time. Initially, it will rise until gravity's influence overcomes its initial upward velocity, at which point it will begin to descend, creating the overall parabolic shape of the trajectory.

This description aligns with the principles of projectile motion, where the horizontal motion is uniform and the vertical motion is uniformly accelerated due to gravity. Understanding this interaction between initial velocity and gravitational acceleration is key to predicting the path of any projectile.