Lesson 3

Free Fall
 Focus Question

How does an object's speed change as it

falls?
 New Vocabulary

free fall

free-fall acceleration
 Review Vocabulary

origin: the point at which both variables in a

coordinate system have the value zero
 Galileo’s Discovery
• About 400 years ago, Galileo Galilei discovered that,
neglecting the effect of the air, all objects in free fall
have the same acceleration.
• In 1971, astronaut David Scott dropped a hammer
and a feather at the same time. Both objects hit the
ground at the same time.
 Free-Fall Acceleration
• Free fall is the motion of an object when gravity is the only
significant force acting on it.
• The acceleration of an object due only to the effect of gravity
is known as free-fall acceleration.
• Free-fall acceleration is represented by the symbol g. Near
Earth’s surface, g = 9.80 m/s2 downward.
 Free-Fall Acceleration
• The velocity-time graph describes the change in the
ball’s speed as it rises and falls. The graph on the
right gives a close-up view of the change in velocity
at the top of the ball’s trajectory.
 Free-Fall Acceleration
• The position-time graph shows how the ball’s
position changes as it rises and falls. The graph at the
right shows a close-up view of how the position
changes at the top of the ball’s trajectory.
 Quiz
1. In the v-t graph of a ball thrown up and falling back
down, at which point in time did the direction of the
ball change?

A 2.00 s

B 2.02 s

C 2.04 s
CORRECT

D 2.08 s
 Quiz

2. If a ball is thrown upward, what is the ball’s velocity at

its highest point?

A +9.8 m/s

B −9.8 m/s

C 0 m/s CORRECT

D 22 m/s
 Quiz

3. What is the acceleration of a ball that is thrown

straight up and falls back down when the positive
direction is upward?

A +9.8 m/s2 C −22 m/s2

B +22 m/s2 D −9.8 m/s2

CORRECT
 Quiz

4. If a ball is thrown upward, what is the ball’s acceleration

at its highest point?

A +9.8 m/s2

B 0 m/s2

C −9.8 m/s2 CORRECT

D −22 m/s2
 Quiz

5. When riding a free-fall ride at an amusement park,

how do the acceleration of the riders compare?

A All riders have the same C The riders with less

acceleration. CORRECT mass have less
acceleration.

B The riders with more D All riders have zero

mass have more acceleration.
acceleration.