If Quinton stands on top of a steep hill and throws his hat horizontally in front of him, what happens to the hat, and why? Respond very briefly.
The hat will initially move horizontally away from Quinton but will soon begin to curve downward under the influence of gravity, falling towards the ground on the hillside below. Gravity acts on all objects uniformly, pulling them towards the center of the Earth. Regardless of the horizontal velocity Quinton gives the hat, gravity will continuously accelerate it downwards at the same rate. As there's no other force acting upward to counteract gravity (ignoring any potential air resistance), the hat cannot maintain its horizontal trajectory and must follow a parabolic path to the ground.