Topic/Title Free Fall

Grade Level 9
Time Allotment 60 minutes
Content Standard
The learner demonstrates understanding of projectile motion, impulse and momentum, and
conservation of linear momentum.
Performance Standards
The learner shall be able to propose ways to enhance sports related to projectile motion.
Learning Competencies and Objectives
The learners should be able to describe the horizontal and vertical motions of a projectile;
(S9FE-IVa-34)

ELICIT (5 minutes) MATERIALS

Recall of previous lesson:
Guide Questions:
1. How would you describe uniformly accelerated motion?
2. What are the four kinematic equations?
ENGAGE (5 minutes)
In front of the class, drop a small metal ball and a sheet of paper. Metal Balls
GQ1. Which of these will hit the ground first? Why? Piece of Paper

Next, drop a sheet of paper and a crumpled piece of paper.

GQ2: Why did the crumpled piece of paper fell faster even if it’s
the same weight with the sheet of paper?

Drop a metal ball and a crumpled piece of paper at the same time.
GQ3: Which of these will hit the ground first?
GQ4: Do you think the rate by which an object fall is affected by its
mass?

Explain the theory of Aristotle in free fall motion that;

“the object with different mass will fall at different rate, with
heavier objects falling faster than lighter objects”,

And Galileo’s theory that “in the absence of air resistance, all
objects fall at the same time regardless of their mass”.

Gravitational acceleration has a theoretical constant value of 9.8

m/s2 in Earth.
EXPLORE (15 minutes)
Checking of materials to be used in the activity Activity sheet
Giving laboratory safety precaution in doing the activity. Free fall apparatus
Activity 2: drop Me!
Objectives:
Describe the motion of a free falling object
Calculate the acceleration of a free falling object
Compare the result computed acceleration to the constant value of
acceleration due to gravity.

Procedure:
Each group will be using balls of different materials/mass.
Group1: Big metal ball
Group2: small metal ball
Group3: plastic ball

1. Using free fall system apparatus and complete the wiring

connection.
2. Fix the gate switch about 10 cm from the table.
3. Fix the solenoid such that the distance between the ball and
pad switch is 20 cm, see to it that when the ball falls, it will
hit the pad of the gate switch and will bring it to an open
position.
4. When the gate switch is in closed position, hang the metal
ball or plastic ball to the solenoid. (adjust the screw of the
solenoid so that its magnetic strength is just enough to hold
the metal/plastic ball). Recheck the distance (d) which if
from the bottom of the ball to the gate switch.
5. Reset your stopwatch so that your initial time reading is
0.00.
6. Quickly push and then release the button switch of the
synchrobox before the ball hits the gate (otherwise the
stopwatch will continue counting the time). Measure the
time of fall in each of the three trials.
7. Repeat for 40 cm, 60 cm, and 80 cm distances. Record all
results in table 1.
8. Using the data compute for the acceleration of the object
using formula g = 2d/t2

Measurements
Distanc Time t (s) Averag Acceleratio
e Tria Tria Tria tave e n
d (m) l1 l2 l3 Time due to
Squared gravity
t (s2) g (m/s2)

0. 20
0. 40
0. 60
0. 80
EXPLAIN (15 minutes)
Post-Discussion
After doing the activity, a representative from a group will present
their output in front of the class. Misconceptions are to be
addressed and different possible source of errors.

Guide Questions:
1. How will you compare the acceleration due to gravity from
the result of the activity and on the theoretical value of g =
9.8 m/s2?
2. What is the percentage error?
 3. What are the possible source of errors?

Allow the students realize that they have used materials with
different mass but came up with almost the same results. Ask them
why is that?

4. How would you define free-fall?

ELABORATE (10 minutes)
Why does two objects of different mass hit the ground at the same
time when falling from the same height?

It is because the acceleration due to gravity is constant for all

objects regardless of their mass, neglecting air resistance. This is
because it only depends on the mass of the Earth but the force the Brian Cox visits the world's
object exerts when it hits the ground varies with its mass. biggest vacuum chamber -
Human Universe Episode 4
Video Presentation Preview - BBC Two
Guide Questions:
1. What was shown in the video? http://youtu.be/E43-CfukEgs
2. Before the vacuum chamber was turned on, which hit the
ground first? The ball or the feathers?
3. When air is sucked out of the chamber, how would you
describe the motion of the bowling ball and the feather?
4. How do you think air affects the motion of light objects?
5. Without air, what only affects the motion of falling bodies?
6. Define free-fall.
EVALUATE (10 minutes) ICT Integration
Write the letter of the correct answer:
1. What is the acceleration of an object in free fall? Pen and Paper
a. 9.8 m/s
b. 9.8 cm/s2
c. 9.8 m/s2
d. 9.8 cm/s
2. Based on Aristotle’s theory, which object reaches the
ground first?
a. The bigger object
b. The smaller object
c. Both
3. Who stated that, in absence of air resistance, all objects fall
at the same rate regardless of its mass?
a. Aristotle
b. Galileo
c. Newton
d. Einstein
4. When we say that light and heavy objects fall at the same
time, what assumptions are we making?
 a. They have the same shape
b. They are falling in the vacuum
c. They are made of the same material
d. They fell from the same height
5. The moon is a nice place to study free fall because it has no
atmosphere. If an astronaut on the moon simultaneously
drop a hammer and a feather from the same height, which
one hits the ground first?
a. The hammer.
b. The feather
c. They hit the ground at the same time
d. They don’t fall
EXTEND (5 minutes)

A ball is dropped from the top of 73.0 m tall building. How fast will
the velocity be when it hits the ground?

Given: d = 73.0 m
Vi = o m/s
a = 9.8 m/s2
vf = ?

using the equation vf2 = vi2 + 2gd

v f = √ 2 gd
= √ 2 ¿¿ 2)(74.0m)
= √ 1,430
= 37.82 m/s

Prepared by:

Grade 9 Lesson Study Group