In projectile motion, the vertical component of an object's velocity is affected by what force?

In projectile motion, the vertical component of an object's velocity is primarily influenced by gravity. When an object is projected into the air, it moves in a curved path due to the influence of gravitational force acting downward towards the Earth. This force causes the object's vertical speed to change over time: it decelerates as it rises and accelerates as it falls back down.

Gravity is a constant force that affects all objects in free fall, and in the absence of other forces like air resistance, it will dictate the overall motion of the projectile in the vertical direction. As a result, the vertical component of the object's velocity will continuously change, reflecting the effect of gravitational acceleration, which is approximately 9.81 m/s² near the surface of the Earth.

The other options, while related to motion, do not specifically influence the vertical velocity in projectile motion context. Friction typically acts in the opposite direction of motion along surfaces, inertia describes an object's resistance to changes in motion, and momentum pertains to the product of an object's mass and velocity rather than a force acting on it.