How does air resistance affect the time of flight when an object is thrown upwards?

When an object is thrown upwards, it experiences a force due to gravity acting downward and air resistance acting in the opposite direction of its motion. As the object rises, the upward velocity decreases because of both gravity and air resistance. The air resistance effectively reduces the time it takes for the object to reach its maximum height, as it counteracts some of the upward motion due to the initial throw.

Once the object reaches its maximum height and starts descending, air resistance continues to act against its downward motion. As a result, the time taken to descend back to the starting height increases because the object decelerates more due to air resistance throughout its downward journey. Therefore, the total flight time is affected, with a shorter time to reach maximum height and a longer time to descend back to the starting point, which aligns with the chosen answer.

This understanding contrasts with the other options that suggest equal times for ascent and descent or imply no effect from air resistance at all, which do not accurately describe the dynamics of projectile motion when air resistance is considered.