Free Fall
Do heavier objects fall faster than
lighter ones when starting from the
same position?
Apollo 15 -Astronaut
David Scott on the
Moon (1971)
“
Galileo (1564 – 1642) and
the leaning tower of
Pisa.
Does air resistance matter?
Air Resistance
The force of friction or drag acting
on an object in a direction
opposing its motion as it moves
through air.
Hammer & Feather in the
presence of air
Hammer & Feather in the
absence of air
If the free fall motion has a
constant acceleration, what is this
acceleration and how was it found?
Galileo’s
Ball and
Channel
Experiment
Galileo’s Ball and Channel
Experiment
● He varied the starting position of the
ball along the channel.
● He measured the times for the ball to
travel the various lengths.
● He raised the channel until it was
steep enough to simulate free fall.
“ We compared the time for the whole length
with that for the half, or with that for two-
thirds, or three-fourths, or indeed for any
fraction; in such experiments, repeated a
full hundred times, we always found that
the spaces traversed were to each other
as the squares of the times, and this was
true for all inclinations of the plane, i.e., of
the channel, along which we rolled the ball.
Galileo “Two New Sciences”
Galileo’s Finding
How Far?
To Find Distance from t and g:
Acceleration due to Gravity, g
◼ g=-9.8m/s2 (we often use -10m/s2)
g= v f –v i
t
◼ When vi=0: vf=gt
◼ Note: the down direction is usually assumed negative.
vf= vi+ gt
vavg = ½ (vf +vi)
Equations d= ½ (vf + vi)t
of Motion d= vit + ½ gt2
for Uniform vf2 = vi2 + 2gd
Accelerated
d is the displacement (or Δd)
Motion ◼
◼ Assume that ti=0
There are a few conceptual characteristics of free fall motion
that will be of value when using the equations to analyze
free fall motion. These concepts are described as follows:
• An object in free fall experiences an acceleration of -9.8 m/s/s. (The - sign indicates a downward acceleration.)
Whether explicitly stated or not, the value of the acceleration in the kinematic equations is -9.8 m/s/s for any freely
falling object.
• If an object is merely dropped (as opposed to being thrown) from an elevated height, then the initial velocity of the
object is 0 m/s.
• If an object is projected upwards in a perfectly vertical direction, then it will slow down as it rises upward. The instant
at which it reaches the peak of its trajectory, its velocity is 0 m/s. This value can be used as one of the motion
parameters in the kinematic equations; for example, the final velocity (vf) after traveling to the peak would be
assigned a value of 0 m/s.
• If an object is projected upwards in a perfectly vertical direction, then the velocity at which it is projected is equal in
magnitude and opposite in sign to the velocity that it has when it returns to the same height. That is, a ball projected
vertically with an upward velocity of +30 m/s will have a downward velocity of -30 m/s when it returns to the same
height.
Example Problem 1
Jungkook drops a pile of roof shingles from the top of a roof located 8.52
meters above the ground. Determine the time required for the shingles to
reach the ground.
Diagram: Given: Find:
vi = 0.0 m/s t=?
d = -8.52 m
a = - 9.8 m/s2
Example Problem 1
Equation:
● d = vi • t + ½ • a • t 2
Solution:
-8.52 m = (0 m/s) • (t) + ½ • (-9.8 m/s2) • (t)2
Example Problem 2
Lisa throws his mother's crystal vase vertically upwards with an initial
velocity of 26.2 m/s. Determine the height to which the vase will rise
above its initial height.
Diagram: Given: Find:
vi = 26.2 m/s d=?
vf = 0 m/s
a = -9.8 m/s2
Example Problem 2
Equation:
● vf2 = vi2 + 2 • a • d
Solution:
(0 m/s)2 = (26.2 m/s)2 + 2 •(-9.8m/s2) •d
Thanks!
CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo,
including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik
and illustrations by Stories
