When a ball is thrown upwards, it eventually stops and falls back down. What is the primary cause of the ball's change in motion as it ascends and descends?

The ball’s motion changes mainly because gravity pulls it toward the Earth. As the ball rises, the downward pull of gravity opposes its upward speed, so its velocity decreases until it reaches zero at the top. After that, gravity keeps accelerating the ball downward, increasing its speed in the opposite direction. Thus, the constant downward force of gravity is the primary cause of the ball’s slowing, stopping, and eventual falling back to the ground. For example, if a ball is thrown upward at 10 m/s, gravity (≈9.