The curved path followed by a ball when it's thrown at different angles on Earth is due to the combination of two factors: gravity and the ball's initial velocity. When the ball is thrown on Earth, gravity acts on it, pulling it downward. At the same time, the ball possesses an initial velocity in the direction of the throw. These two forces, gravity and the initial velocity, combine to create a curved path.
When the ball is thrown at an angle, the initial velocity has both horizontal and vertical components. The vertical component determines the ball's upward or downward motion, while the horizontal component determines its horizontal motion. As the ball moves upward, gravity acts as a downward force, causing the ball to decelerate. Eventually, gravity brings the ball to a halt at its highest point, known as the apex of its trajectory. From this point, gravity pulls the ball back downward, causing it to accelerate.
The combination of the upward and downward motion due to gravity and the horizontal motion due to the initial velocity results in a curved path. The exact shape of the curve depends on the angle at which the ball is thrown and the magnitude of its initial velocity.
In contrast, when a ball is released into space, there is no significant gravitational force acting on it. In space, objects experience microgravity or weightlessness, where the gravitational force is extremely weak. Without the influence of gravity, the ball will not experience a curved path. Instead, it will continue to move in a straight line with the same velocity until acted upon by another force, such as the gravitational pull of another celestial body or the effect of other physical factors.