2.

Hold two stones with

different sizes at the
2.3 same height and then
Free Fall drop both stone
simultaneously from
Motion the same height.

(a) Describe how the

Free Fall Motion and Gravitational Acceleration velocity changes.
Sir Isaac Newton saw an apple fall on his head.
He said all objects are pulled by a force which ………………………………………………………………
causes them to fall to the surface of the earth.
(b) Compare the time taken for the stones to
An object experiences free fall if the motion of the reach the floor.
object is affected only by gravitational force. This
implies a free falling object does not experience ………………………………………………………………
the action of other forces such as air resistance
or friction. (c) Is the acceleration of the stones influenced
by their masses?
Free Fall
………………………………………………………………

Galileo performed the

experiment in the
Leaning Tower of
Pisa. He found that
the two iron balls fell
The pull of gravity caused an object to fall with down at the same
gravitational acceleration. time.

Activiti 1:
Aim: To investigate the motion of falling objects
1. Diagram on the right Golf ball paper golf ball crumpled paper
shows a stroboscopic
photograph of a free 1. Hold a golf ball and a piece of paper at the
falling ball and its same height and drop them simultaneously
velocity versus time
graph. (a) Which object reaches the floor first?

(a) Observe the photo. ………………………………………………………………

Describe the velocity of
the ball. (b) Explain why.

……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………

(b) What can we deduce from the gradient of the ………………………………………………………………

v – t graph?
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………

(c) Describe the motion of the ball.

………………………………………………………………
Repeat with a golf ball and a piece of paper which Experiment 1:
is crumpled. Aim: To determine Earth’s gravitational
(c) Which object reaches the floor first? acceleration
Apparatus: Ticker timer, 12 V ac power supply,
……………………………………………………………… stool, G-clamp, slotted weight, ticker
tape.
(d) Explain why

……………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………

2. A coin and a feather are released from the

same height simultaneously in the laboratory.

Coin

Observation:

………………………………………………………………
Procedure:
1. Cut a piece of ticker tape and pass through the
State and label two forces acted on the coin and
ticker timer which is clamped to a stool using
feather.
G-clamp.
2. Attach one end of the tape to the 100 g slotted
Explanation:
weight.
3. Switch on the ticker timer and release the
………………………………………………………………
slotted weight so that it falls freely.
4. Analyze the tape to determine the value of the
………………………………………………………………
acceleration due to gravity, g.
………………………………………………………………
Discussion:
1. What is the type of motion of the objects as
The same coin and feather are
they fall under the pull of gravity?
put into a vacuum tube and
then dropped simultaneously
………………………………………………………………
from the same height
2. Show how you calculate g from the tape.
Observation:

………………………………………
3. Compare the value of acceleration due to
Explanation:
gravity from this activity with actual value.
Give possible reasons for any difference in
………………………………………………………………
these two values.
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
In daily life, why we see that heavy objects fall
4. The value of gravitational acceleration, g
and reach the ground faster than light objects.
changes from one place to another. For
example, the value of at the equator is 9.78 m
………………………………………………………………
s–2 while the value of at the Earth’s poles is
9.83 m s–2. Why?
In what condition objects of different masses fall
with the same acceleration? ………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………
 3. Amirah threw a ball vertically upwards with an
initial velocity of 10 m s–1. Calculate the:
(a) time for the ball to achieve maximum
height
(b) maximum height that can be reached by
the ball
Ignore air resistance. [g = 9.81 m s–2]

Solving Problems Related to Free Falling Objects

For an object falling with acceleration g, the

following equations apply:
1. v = u + at
2. s = ut + ½ at2
3. v2 = u2 + 2as 4. A ball is thrown upwards from the ground with
a velocity of 30 m/s. After how many seconds
s = displacement will it strike the ground again?
u = initial velocity
v = final velocity
t = time
a = acceleration due to gravity, g

Notes:
1. An object fall: a = g = 10 ms-2 (acceleration)
2. An object is thrown upwards a = - g = - 10 ms-2.
(deceleration)
3. At the highest point, v = 0
4. Downward direction, v is positive
5. Upward direction, v is negative

Exercise 1
Assume g = 10 m s-2 and there is no air resistance 5. An object of mass 5 kg is released from a tall
building of height 500 m. What is the time
1. A rock falls from a height of 45 m. taken to reach the ground?
(a) How long does it take to reach the ground?
(b) What is its velocity as it hits the ground?

2. Amir releases a stone into a well. If the

distance between the top of the well and the
water surface is 20 m,
(a) what is the time required for the stone to 6. Sketch the following graph for an object that
reach the surface of the water? is falling freely
(b) What is the velocity of the stone when it
strikes the surface of the water?
 3 The diagram shows a
TUTORIAL 2.3: coin, marble and dried
leaf being released at
1 The diagram shows a the same time in a
coconut falling from the tree. vacuum cylinder. Which
Which of the following observation is correct?
acceleration–time graphs A. All three objects
represents the motion of the float in the cylinder
coconut? B. All three objects
reach the base at
the same time
C. The marble reaches the base earlier than
the coin
D. The coin and the marble reach the base
earlier than the dried leaf

4 The diagram shows a brick falling from a

table.

What physical quantity of the brick is

constant while it is falling?
A. Potential energy
2 Two objects P and Q are dropped B. Kinetic energy
simultaneously from two different heights. C. Acceleration
D. Velocity

5 The diagram below shows two metal

spheres, P and Q.

Which velocity-time graph represents the

motion of P and Q?

Which of the following statements is true

when P and Q are in free fall?
A. The velocities of P and Q are the same
B. The accelerations of P and Q are the
same
C. The momentum of P and Q are the same
The gravitational forces acting on P and
on Q are the same

6 A brick falls from a height of 10 m. Calculate

the time taken for the brick to reach the
ground.
A. 0.5 s
B. 0.7 s
C. 1.0 s
D. 1.4 s
7 Diagram 3 shows two trolleys of different 10. Diagram 7 shows a feather and a stone falling
masses. freely in a vacuum.

Which statement is correct about the

What is the same physics quantity for both motion?
trolleys? (2008) A. The feather and the stone fall with
A. Potential energy constant velocity.
B. Time taken to hit the floor B. The feather and the stone have the
C. Kinetic energy same kinetic energy
D. Momentum C. The feather and the stone reach the
ground at the same time
8 Diagram 5 shows a stroboscopic D. The gravitational force acting on the
photograph of a ball dropped from feather and the stone are the same.
a height.
Which physics quantity remains
constant as the ball falls?
A. Velocity 1.Question 6 (SPM 2003)
B. Momentum Figure 17 is a stroboscopic
C. Acceleration photograph shows two steel balls in
D. Kinetic energy a state of free-fall. Both balls are
dropped simultaneously from the
same height..
(a) Observe the photograph and
state two similarities between
9 Diagram shows a the position of the balls
coconut falling from a
tree.
Which graph shows the
relationship between ……………………………………………………………
the gravitational force,
F, acting on the coconut …………………………………………………………….
and the mass, m, of the [2 m]
coconut?
(b) Name one physical quantity which causes the
balls to fall.

…………………………………………………………..
[1 m]
(i) Based on the positions of the free-falling
balls, there is a physical quantity that is
constant. Name the quantity.

………………………………………………………………

(ii) What is the value of the quantity and its unit?

………………………………………………………………
[1 mark]

(iii) State how the mass of a ball affect the valued

of the physical quantity stated in (c)(i).

………………………………………………………………
[1 mark]
(c) A ball is thrown vertically upwards at a
certain velocity.
(i) What happens to the motion of the ball as it
moves upwards?

………………………………………………………………
[1 mark]

(ii) Give one reasons for your answer.

………………………………………………………………
[1 mark]

2. Abu released a stone from a cliff of 10 m

height. Determine
(a) the time taken for the stone to reach the
bottom of the cliff
(b) the velocity of the stone just before it
touches the ground
Ignore air resistance. [g = 9.81 m s–2]

3. An object thrown vertically upwards reached

a maximum height of 5.0 m. Calculate:
(a) the velocity of the object when thrown
(b) the time taken for the object to reach its
maximum height
(c) the time required for the object to return
to its original level
Ignore air resistance. [g = 9.81 m s–2]

4. A tennis ball that is released falls vertically

from a building of height 50 m. Calculate:
(a) the time taken for the ball to reach the
base of the building
(b) the velocity of the ball just before hitting
the base of the building
(c) the vertical distance passed at the third
second
Ignore air resistance. [g = 9.81 m s–2]