In which direction does the gravitational force's vector component act on a bowling ball on an incline?

The gravitational force acting on the bowling ball can be resolved into two components when the ball is on an incline. The gravitational force always acts downwards toward the center of the Earth. When considering the incline, the force can be broken down into two parts: one component that acts parallel to the incline and another that acts perpendicular to it.

The component of gravitational force that acts parallel to the incline is responsible for causing the bowling ball to slide down the slope. This parallel component can be calculated using the angle of the incline and the weight of the bowling ball. As the incline increases, the impact of this parallel component increases, which is why the bowling ball tends to accelerate down the slope.

In contrast, the component that acts perpendicular to the incline helps to determine the normal force but does not contribute to the motion down the incline. Therefore, recognizing that the motion related to sliding down an incline is due to the gravitational component acting parallel to the incline is key to understanding the dynamics in this scenario.