A thrown or kicked ball is a projectile, and its curved path is a trajectory. The ball keeps moving forward at a steady pace because no force pushes it forward or back. At the same time gravity pulls it down, so it rises, slows, reaches its highest point and falls. The two motions happen at once but do not change each other. A faster launch goes farther and higher, and the launch angle changes how far the ball lands. Where gravity is weaker, the same throw goes farther.