2.
as the ball in the air falls back into the boy’s hand, the speed of the ball

a. goes up and then goes down

b. stays the same

c. decreases

d. increases

As the ball in the air falls back into the boy’s hand, the speed of the ball  "Increases"

Explanation:

When the ball is thrown upwards the speed of the ball increases till it reaches the maximum height it could travel. At the maximum height, velocity of the ball will be equal to zero.

If there is no support to hold the ball, the speed of the ball once again increases when it starts to free fall until it reaches the boy’s hand. In the boys hand the speed of the ball will be equal to zero.

d. platinum would have the greatest temperature increase because it has the lowest specific heat.

b. a lightning bug, plug of grass, and a worm