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A short class with Sarah and her students. The other ways are under More.
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Today, we're going to explore what free fall means. Can anyone tell me what happens to an object when it falls under gravity alone?
It accelerates downward!
So, is it falling faster every second?
Exactly! This constant acceleration is referred to as 'g', which is approximately 9.8 m/s² on Earth. Remember this value! You can think of it as the speed increase for every second it falls.
Does that mean a feather and a bowling ball would fall at the same rate in free fall?
Great question! Yes, in a vacuum with no air resistance, they would fall at the same rate. This highlights how gravity acts equally on different mass objects.
Let’s discuss the acceleration due to gravity more. Can you describe how we can calculate an object’s velocity during free fall?
I think we can use the formula v = gt? Where is g the gravity value?
Correct! For any time 't', you multiply by 'g' to find the final velocity 'v'. If you drop something from rest, it’s a straightforward calculation.
Does that also mean I can calculate how far it falls using s = ½gt²?
Absolutely! These equations help predict the motion of free-falling objects. Let's summarize: we have velocity and distance covered. Any questions?
Objects in free fall, making a splat, all will fall, regardless of that!
Imagine dropping two different apples from the same height. One is heavy, and one is light; yet they both hit the ground at the same time, reminding us that gravity plays an equal role!
Grownups Accelerate Fast! (GAF: Gravity Accelerates Faster), representing that under gravity, acceleration is constant.
FALL: Free objects Accelerate at the same rate in the absence of air Resistance.
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What is Free Fall?
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Value of g on Earth?
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Does mass affect free fall rate?
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Free fall refers to the motion of an object solely under the influence of gravity.
In free fall, an object accelerates downward at a constant rate due to gravity, which on Earth is approximately 9.8 m/s². This acceleration affects all objects equally, regardless of their mass, in the absence of air resistance.
In physics, free fall describes the motion during which an object is subject only to the influence of gravitational force. It signifies that no other forces, such as air resistance, are acting on the object. During free fall, an object accelerates toward the Earth at a constant rate, known as the acceleration due to gravity, represented by the symbol 'g'. On Earth, the value of 'g' is approximately 9.8 m/s², indicating that every second, the velocity of the object increases by this amount.
A key aspect of free fall is that, in a vacuum where air resistance is eliminated, all objects fall with the same acceleration regardless of their masses. This phenomenon demonstrates a fundamental principle of physics—acceleration due to gravity is constant and does not depend on mass. Understanding free fall is crucial not only for comprehending how objects behave under gravitational forces but also for applications involving motion, such as in ballistics, engineering, and space exploration.