A ball is released from rest at the top of an inclined smooth plane of length 5 cm. After reaching the bottom it travels horizontally on a smooth surface. How much distance will it travel horizontally? (Neglect the frictional forces as both the plane and surface are smooth)
Infinite.
On a smooth (frictionless) inclined plane the ball accelerates uniformly under the component of gravity along the slope. Once it reaches the bottom and moves onto a perfectly smooth horizontal surface, there is no friction to decelerate it — Newton's First Law states that a body continues in uniform motion unless an external force acts on it.
Because the horizontal surface is also smooth (frictionless), no net force acts on the ball after it leaves the incline. It therefore travels indefinitely — an infinite distance.
Option A (5 cm) would apply if the ball just stopped at the base; Option B (0 cm) would mean the ball never left the incline; Option C (2.5 cm) has no physical basis. The correct answer is : Infinite.
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