Q: What is the purpose of the free fall calculator?
A: The free fall calculator is designed to find the velocity and distance traveled by a falling object under the influence of gravity. It allows users to apply the free fall equation to various scenarios, such as dropping an apple or simulating a skydiving experience.
Q: What does free fall mean in physics?
A: In physics, free fall refers to the motion of an object solely under the influence of gravitational force, without any other forces acting on it, like air resistance. An object in free fall experiences an acceleration of gravity (denoted as "g") as it falls towards the Earth.
Q: How does air resistance affect free fall speed?
A: Without air resistance, objects in free fall would continuously accelerate at approximately 9.8 m/s² (32.2 ft/s²) on Earth. However, air resistance increases with the object's speed. At some point, the air resistance force equals the gravitational force, causing the object to reach a constant speed known as terminal velocity.
Q: What is terminal velocity, and how does it relate to free fall?
A: Terminal velocity is the constant speed achieved by a falling object when air resistance balances the force of gravity. At this point, the object stops accelerating and falls at a steady speed. In free fall, terminal velocity is not considered, as the calculator neglects air resistance.
Q: Does the distance traveled in free fall depend on an object's mass?
A: According to the free fall formula, the distance traveled does not depend on the mass of the falling object. In theory, both a feather and a brick would hit the ground at the same time in a vacuum. However, in reality, air resistance affects objects of different masses differently, causing them to fall at different rates.
