Free Fall Calculator
Calculate distance, time, and velocity for objects in free fall under gravity
Calculate Free Fall Motion
Earth's gravity: 9.80665 m/s² • Moon's gravity: 1.62 m/s² • Mars: 3.71 m/s²
0 for dropped objects • Negative for upward motion
Duration of free fall
Free Fall Results
Calculation Details
Example Calculations
Apple Drop
Problem: Apple dropped from 10 m height
Given: h = 10 m, v₀ = 0 m/s, g = 9.81 m/s²
Time: t = √(2h/g) = √(20/9.81) = 1.43 s
Final velocity: v = gt = 9.81 × 1.43 = 14.0 m/s
Tall Building
Problem: Object falls for 5 seconds
Given: t = 5 s, v₀ = 0 m/s, g = 9.81 m/s²
Distance: s = ½gt² = ½ × 9.81 × 25 = 122.6 m
Final velocity: v = gt = 9.81 × 5 = 49.1 m/s
Ball Thrown Up
Problem: Ball thrown up at 20 m/s
Given: v₀ = -20 m/s (upward), g = 9.81 m/s²
Max height: h = v₀²/(2g) = 400/19.62 = 20.4 m
Time to peak: t = v₀/g = 20/9.81 = 2.04 s
Extreme: High Altitude
Problem: Fall from 40 km (stratosphere)
Given: h = 40,000 m, v₀ = 0, g = 9.81 m/s²
Time: t = √(2h/g) = √(80,000/9.81) = 90.3 s
Final velocity: v = gt = 886 m/s (Mach 2.6!)
Free Fall Physics
Definition
Motion under gravity alone, with no air resistance or other forces.
Key Assumption
Constant gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s² on Earth).
Independence
All objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass.
Free Fall Equations
Distance formula
Velocity formula
Energy formula
Time (v₀ = 0)
Gravity on Different Bodies
Physics Tips
Air resistance is neglected in free fall calculations
Use negative initial velocity for upward motion
Distance traveled increases quadratically with time
All objects fall at the same rate (in vacuum)
Understanding Free Fall in Physics
What is Free Fall?
Free fall is the motion of an object under the influence of gravitational force alone. In this idealized scenario, air resistance and all other forces are neglected, leaving gravity as the only force acting on the object.
Key Principles
- •Constant acceleration: Objects accelerate at g = 9.81 m/s² on Earth
- •Mass independence: All objects fall at the same rate
- •Quadratic relationship: Distance ∝ time²
- •Linear velocity: Velocity ∝ time
Real-world vs. Ideal
Galileo's Experiment: Dropping objects from the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Prediction: All objects hit ground simultaneously
Reality: Air resistance causes lighter objects to fall slower
Applications
- •Projectile motion calculations
- •Safety engineering (fall protection)
- •Space mission planning
- •Sports physics (diving, jumping)
Mathematical Relationships
Distance (v₀ = 0)
Velocity (v₀ = 0)
Time from height
Impact velocity