Free Fall

Questions:

Do heavier objects fall faster than

lighter ones when starting from the
same position?
Does air resistance matter?
If the free fall motion has a constant
acceleration, what is this acceleration
and how was it found?
How do we solve problems involving
free fall?

Aristotles Theory Of
Motion

1. The fall of a heavy object toward

the center of the earth is a natural
motion because the object is just
returning to its natural place

Aristotles Theory Of
Motion

2. Heavy objects fall faster than

lighter ones. He explained that
increase in the rate of motion is
proportional to the weight of the
object.

Aristotles Theory Of
Motion

3. Object fall faster in air than in

water. He assumed that the
decrease in the rate of motion is in
proportion to thr resisting force of
the medium(air or water).

Aristotles Theory Of
Motion

4. Objects sometimes move away

from their natural force. He called
this type of motion violent
motion which he explained was
caused by an outside force.

Galileo (1564
1642) and the
leaning tower
of Pisa.

Galileos Theory Of Motion

1. The two objects(light and

heavy), dropped simultaneously
from the tower of Pisa, fell and
struck the earth at the same time.

Galileos Theory Of Motion

2. when a ball was rolled down an

incline at a fixed angle, the ratio of
the distance covered to the square
of the corresponding time was
always the same.

Does Air Resistance

Matter?

Air Resistance

The force of friction or drag acting

on an object in a direction
opposing its motion as it moves
through air.

Hammer & Feather in the

presence of air

Hammer & Feather in the

absence of air

If the free fall motion has a

constant acceleration, what is this
acceleration and how was it found?

Galileos Ball and Channel

Experiment

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast110_06/rots/pftim19_01.png

Galileos Ball and Channel

Experiment

He varied the starting position of the

ball along the channel.
He measured the times for the ball to
travel the various lengths.
He raised the channel until it was
steep enough to simulate free fall.

Galileos Theory Of Motion

2. when a ball was rolled down an

incline at a fixed angle, the ratio of
the distance covered to the square
of the corresponding time was
always the same.

Galileos Finding

We compared the time for the whole

length with that for the half, or with that for
two-thirds, or three-fourths, or indeed for
any fraction; in such experiments, repeated
a full hundred times, we always found that
the spaces traversed were to each other as
the squares of the times, and this was true
for all inclinations of the plane, i.e., of the
channel, along which we rolled the ball.
Galileo Two New Sciences

http://galileoandeinstein.physics.virginia.e
du/lectures/gal_accn96.htm

How Far?
Distance (m)
0

Time (s)
0

20

45

To Find Distance from t

and g:
d=vit + g t2

How
Fast?

Acceleration due to Gravity,

g

g=-9.8m/s2 (we often use -10m/s2)

g= v f v
t

When vi=0: vf=gt

Note: the down direction is usually

assumed negative.

vf= vi+ gt

Equations
of Motion
for
Uniform
Accelerate
d Motion

vavg = (vf +vi)

d= (vf + vi)t
d= vit + gt2
vf2 = vi2 + 2gd

d is the displacement
(or d)
Assume that ti=0

A ball is dropped from rest by a

little boy from the window of a
three-storey apartment. How far
has it fallen after 1 second? What
is the balls velocity after 1 second
of fall? How far does the ball fall
during the second second?

V0=0
d1
1s

2s

d2

Carry threw a ball upward with an

initial velocity of 2000 cm/s and was
able to catch it before it reached
the ground on its return.
A. What was its velocity after 1
second?
B. What was its displacement in the
first second

C. how long did it take the ball to

reach its maximum height?
D. How far was the maximum
height from the starting point?

Example 1: Free Fall

a)

b)
c)

A ball is dropped from rest from the

top of a building. Find:
The instantaneous velocity of the ball
after 6 sec.
How far the ball fell.
The average velocity up to that point.

Answers: -60m/s, 180m, -30m/s

Example 2: Free Fall on the

Moon
A hammer is dropped on the moon. It reaches
the ground 1s later. If the distance it fell was
0.83m:
1.

2.

Calculate the acceleration due to gravity on

the surface of the moon.
Calculate the velocity with which the hammer
reached the ground and compare to the
velocity it would have, if it was dropped on the
earths surface.

Answer:-1.66m/s2, -1.66m/s, -9.8m/s