The correct answer is (c) go up and then come back to the surface of the moon.
Explanation:
When an astronaut throws a ball upwards on the moon, the ball will rise due to the initial force of the throw, but the Moon’s gravity will eventually pull it back down to the surface.
Why other options are incorrect:
(a) directly fall down from the point it is released:
This would only happen if the ball had no initial upward velocity, meaning it would simply drop to the moon’s surface immediately.
(b) hang in space:
In the absence of any forces, a object would indeed “hang” in space, but the Moon’s gravity exerts a force on the ball, causing it to fall.
(d) keep going up never to come back:
This is incorrect because the Moon’s gravity is sufficient to eventually pull the ball back to its surface. The ball would need a much higher initial velocity to escape the Moon’s gravitational pull completely.