Get a piece of paper and a pencil.

Then, hold one in each hand and

release them. Which falls with more
acceleration, a piece of paper or
pencil?
 FREE
FALL
MOTION
Freely Falling Objects
• An important example of Uniformly
Accelerated Motion (UAM) is the free
fall of an object.
“ F R E E FA L L ”
• Motion under the influence of
the gravitational force only.
(neglects air resistance). The
objects can be either dropped
or thrown.
Acceleration Due to
Gravity “g”
The acceleration on an object in
free fall is called the acceleration
due to gravity, or free-fall
acceleration.

Free-fall acceleration is denoted

with the symbol g (on Earth’s
surface).
• Experiment:
• Drop a ball & light piece
of paper at the same time.
• Repeat the experiment but
use a crumpled/wadded up
paper.

In the absence of air resistance, all objects fall with

the same acceleration, although this may be tricky to
tell by testing in an environment where there is air
resistance.
•Experiment:
•Rock & feather dropped at
the same time in air.
•Repeated in vacuum.

The acceleration due to gravity at the Earth’s surface is

approximately 9.8 m/s2, downward. At a given location on
the Earth and in the absence of air resistance, all objects
fall with the same constant acceleration.
•Experiment finds that the acceleration of
falling objects (neglecting air resistance) is
always (approximately) the same, no matter
how light or heavy the object.

•Acceleration due to gravity, a = g

g = -9.8 m/s2 or
9.8 m/s2 downward (approximately)
“Acceleration of falling objects is always the same,
no matter how light or heavy. “
• First proven by Galileo Galilei

Legend: Galileo
dropped objects off
of the leaning tower
of Pisa.
•Acceleration due
to gravity
g = 9.8 m/s2
(approximately)

• Acceleration due
to gravity depends
on location on
Earth, latitude, &
altitude.
 A
COMMON
MISCONCEPTION!
 The speed at the highest
Analyzing Upward point (maximum height) is
0 m/s if the object is
and Downward Motion  𝑣 ↑  𝑣 ↓ thrown upward.

 𝑣 ↑
𝑣  ↓
• For
  upward motion , use: The object will have the
same speed at the same
. level. The only difference
 𝑣 ↑  𝑣 ↓ is that they have opposite
directions (upward or
• For downward motion , use: downward).

.  𝑡 ↑  𝑡 ↓
 𝑣 ↑  𝑣 ↓  a = g = 9.8 m/

𝑣  𝑖 𝑜𝑟 𝑣 𝑜  𝑣 𝑓
• = (t = time)
The time it takes for an object to reach the maximum height when thrown upward is Object thrown upward.
equal to the time it takes for the object to drop from the maximum height to its
initial position. Note: We use a negative acceleration () for upward motion because an object
 decelerates as it moves upward. After reaching the maximum height, the object
Therefore, the total time of flight of an object thrown upward is:
begins to accelerate as it moves downward due to the downward pull of gravity. This
• = + or = 2(t) is also the reason why we use a positive acceleration () for downward free-fall
motion.
 EQUATIONS OF 0NE-DIMENTIONAL
VERTICAL MOTION
 𝑦
•Equations:
   Legend:

or = initi al velocity
1)
= fi nal velocity
= accelerati on
0
2)
due to gravity
= height or
3)
verti cal distance
The given equations above are derived based on the four UAM
4) equations. We use g for a and y for d.
APPLICATIO
N
 1) What is the velocity of a ball that has been dropped off froma
cliff after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 seconds?
 G iven:  U  S olution:
nknown:
velocity ()
 F downward
ormula:
(downward motion)

Illustration:  S  S olution:
olution:
 𝑦
downward
cliff
the ball from a cliff downward

 S olution:  S olution:
downward
downward
 2) A ball is thrown upward in the air with an initial velocity of
40 m/s. How long does it take to reach back to the point it was
thrown from?
 G iven: Since the ball is thrown upward
 S
therefore, the sign for g is negative. olution:
Consider the derived formula for t.
(upward motion)  U nknown:
time ()
 
This is the velocity at the highest point.
total time (   ¿ 4.08 𝑠 Plug in the given values in
the derived formula, then
simplify.
Illustration:  F ormula:
 𝑦   Since the time () it takes for the ball
Free Fall Equation 1.
 to reach the highest point is equal
to the time () it takes for the ball
  from the highest point to reach
  Subtract from both sides
 of the equation back to the point it was thrown
from, the total time () can be solve
by multiplying 4.08 s by 2.
  Divide both sides by g.

Therefore, it takes 8.16 s for the ball to

The time () it takes for the ball to reach the
 highest point is equal to the time () it takes for the
reach back to the point it was thrown
ball from the highest point to reach back to the
0 point it was thrown from. from .
the ball thrown upward
3) What is the vertical distance of a ball that falls after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
seconds?
 G iven:  U nknown:  S olution:
vertical distance ()
 F ormula:
(Vertical distance from
(downward motion)
the initial position.)

Free Fall Equation 4. We did not write anymore since its value would
Illustration:  always be zero because .
 𝑦  S olution:
 S olution:
ball

(Vertical distance from

(Vertical distance from the initial position.)
the initial position.)

 S olution:
 S olution:

(Vertical distance from

(Vertical distance from the initial position.)
the initial position.)
 4) A ball is thrown upward in the air with an initial velocity of
30 m/s. How long does it take to reach back to the point it was
thrown from?
 G iven: Since the ball is thrown upward
 S
therefore, the sign for g is negative. olution:
Consider the derived formula for t.
(upward motion)
Unknown:
 

time ()   Plug in the given values in

This is the velocity at the highest point. total time (   ¿ 3.06 𝑠 the derived formula, then
simplify.
Illustration:
 F ormula: Since
 ball tothe time () it takes for the
 𝑦 Free Fall Equation 1.
  reach the highest point is
equal to the time () it takes for
the ball from the highest point
  Subtract from both sides
  to reach back to the point it was
 of the equation thrown from, the total time ()
can be solve by multiplying 3.06
  s by 2.
Divide both sides by g.

The time it takes for the ball to reach the highest

Therefore, it takes 6.12 s for the ball to
point is equal to the time it takes for the ball from
the highest point to reach back to the point it was
reach back to the point it was thrown
thrown from.
from .
the ball thrown upward
5) An object free falls for 3.5 seconds. How far does it fall from its
initial position?
Given:
   U nknown:
vertical distance ()
 F ormula:  Free Fall Equation 4. We did not write
(downward motion) anymore since its value would always
be zero because .

Illustration: Solution:
 

object

Therefore, the object falls a distance of 60.03 m from its initial

position.