How to Calculate Free Fall
What is Free Fall?
Free fall is the motion of an object falling solely under gravity, with no air resistance. Near Earth's surface, all objects accelerate at g = 9.81 m/s² regardless of mass — a fact Galileo demonstrated and Einstein explained through general relativity.
Step-by-Step Guide
- 1Velocity at time t: v = g × t (starting from rest)
- 2Distance fallen: d = ½ × g × t²
- 3Time to fall distance d: t = √(2d / g)
- 4Velocity after falling height h: v = √(2gh)
Worked Examples
Input
Object dropped from 45m
Result
3.03 seconds · velocity 29.7 m/s (107 km/h)
t=√(2×45/9.81)=3.03s; v=9.81×3.03=29.7
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