Lesson 3.

Free Fall Motion

General Physics 11/2

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Aristotle speculated that heavy objects fall faster
than the lighter ones.

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Galileo Galilei
challenged the idea
using two cannonballs
of different sizes.

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He tried dropping
them simultaneously
off of the Leaning
Tower of Pisa and
found out that they
fell at exactly the
same rate: that is, –
9.8 m/s2.
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 This constant value has since then been
established as an object’s acceleration due to
gravity on the Earth’s surface.

In this lesson, you will explore the mathematical

significance of this value and its relationships to
other kinematic variables.

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What happens to an object’s
velocity as it undergoes free fall
motion?

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 Learning Competencies
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Use the fact that the magnitude of acceleration

due to gravity on the Earth’s surface is nearly
constant and approximately 9.8 m/s2 in free fall
problems (STEM_GP12Kin-Ib-18).

● Solve problems involving one dimensional

motion with constant acceleration in contexts
such as free-fall problems. (STEM_GP12Kin-Ib-19).
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 Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Apply the four major kinematic equations of

uniformly accelerated linear motion to free fall.

● Calculate unknown quantities in problems that

involve free fall motion.

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 Free Fall Motion

Galileo was able to establish the mathematical relationship

between distance and time.

For any object that has fallen from rest, the distance that it
will cover will be proportional to the square of the time it
has taken to fall.

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 Free Fall Motion

All objects on the Earth’s surface will fall with equal and
constant acceleration in the absence of air and other forms
of resistance.

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 Free Fall Motion

This acceleration is
termed as acceleration
due to gravity (g) on the
Earth’s surface and its
approximated magnitude
is equivalent to –9.8
m/s2.

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 Free Fall Motion

1. A freely falling object

has an acceleration of
–9.8 m/s2, the
negative value of
which signifies that
the acceleration is
downward.

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 Free Fall Motion

2. The initial velocity of

any object thrown
from an elevated
height is 0 m/s.

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 Free Fall Motion

3. For an object thrown

vertically upward, it
is expected to slow
down while going
upward and attain a
velocity of 0 m/s at
the peak of its
motion.
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 Free Fall Motion

3. The magnitude of its

velocity when
thrown up is equal
but opposite in
sign to its velocity
when it goes back to
the same height.

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 Free Fall Motion

Symbol SI Unit

Constant Acceleration: ay or g –9.8 m/s2 meter per

Acceleration to Gravity square
(constant)
second

Velocity v0y (initial)

meter per
m/s
v second
vy (final)

Position y0 (initial)
y m meter
y (final)

Time s second
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Remember

The value of g is said to be a mere

“approximation” since it varies
according to the altitudes on the Earth’s
surface. The difference, however, is
significantly small that they can, under
most circumstances, be ignored.

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 Constant Acceleration Calculations

Velocity-Time Equation

Does the equation look familiar to you? Where did you last
see an equation of this form?
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 Constant Acceleration Calculations

Position-Time Equation

How are the two equations related? Can you derive the last
equation presented using the former?
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 Constant Acceleration Calculations

Velocity-Position Equation

How is this equation unique in comparison to other

equations?
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 Let’s Practice!

If a 10-kg block is dropped from rest, determine the

distance it will have covered after 2 seconds.

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 Let’s Practice!

If a 10-kg block is dropped from rest, determine the

distance it will have covered after 2 seconds.

The distance the block will have covered after 2

seconds is 19.6 m. The negative value implies that the
motion is downward.

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Try It!

Calculate how far a 45-kg object will fall

after 3.5 seconds if it is thrown from
rest off of a building.

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 Let’s Practice!

A coin is dropped from rest off of a cliff that is 6

meters high. How much time will it take for the coin
to reach the ground and what will be its velocity?

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 Let’s Practice!

A coin is dropped from rest off of a cliff that is 6

meters high. How much time will it take for the coin
to reach the ground and what will be its velocity?

The time it took for the coin to reach the ground is

1.1 s and it had a velocity of –10.8 m/s.

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Try It!

A stone fell from a 4.5-m ledge from

rest. How much time will it take to fall
on the ground and what will be its final
velocity?

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 Let’s Practice!

An object is shot upward with a velocity of 189 m/s

from the top of a 20-m cliff. How much time will it
take for the missile to fall on the ground?

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 Let’s Practice!

An object is shot upward with a velocity of 189 m/s

from the top of a 20-m cliff. How much time will it
take for the missile to fall on the ground?

The time it took for the missile to fall on the ground is

38.7 s.

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Try It!

A particle is shot upward with a velocity

of 155.65 m/s from the top of a 15.16-m
cliff. How much time will it take for the
particle to fall on the ground?

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How do we express the
equations on “constant
acceleration along the vertical”?

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Free fall refers to an object’s motion under the

sole influence of gravity.

● All objects on the Earth’s surface will fall with

equal and constant acceleration in the absence
of air and other forms of resistance.

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● The acceleration due to gravity (g) on the

Earth’s surface has an approximated magnitude
equivalent to –9.8 m/s2.

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 Key Formulas

Concept Formula Description

Use this formula

UAM along to solve for an
the Vertical unknown value
(Free Fall): where:
for problems that
Velocity-Time ● vy is the y-velocity at time t of an concern the
object with constant acceleration; variables vy, v0y,
● v0y is the y-velocity of the object at its and t.
initial time;
● g is the acceleration due to gravity (–
9.8 m/s2); and
● t is the elapsed time
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 Key Formulas

Concept Formula Description

Use this formula

UAM along to solve for an
the Vertical unknown value in
(Free Fall): where:
problems that
Position-Time ● y is the position at elapsed time t of concern the
an object in UAM; variables y, v0y,
● v0y is the velocity along the y-axis at and t.
initial time;
● t is the elapsed time; and
● g is the acceleration due to gravity (g
= 9.8 m/s2)
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 Key Formulas

Concept Formula Description

Use this
UAM along formula to
the Vertical solve for an
(Free Fall): where:
unknown
Position-Time ● y is the object’s position at elapsed value in
time; problems that
● y0 is the object’s position at initial time; concern the
● v0y is the object’s velocity at initial time; variables y, y0,
v0y, and t.
● vy is object’s velocity at elapsed time;
and
● t is the elapsed time
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 Key Formulas

Concept Formula Description

Use this
UAM formula to
Along the solve for an
Vertical: where: unknown
● vy is the object’s velocity along the y-axis at elapsed value in
Velocity- problems
Position time; that concern
● v0y is the velocity of the object along the y-axis at the variables
vy, v0y, y, and
initial time;
y0.
● g is the acceleration due to gravity (g = 9.8 m/s2);
● y is the object’s position at elapsed time; and
● y0 is the object’s position at initial time
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Challenge Yourself

Suppose you have a coin in one hand

and a sheet of paper on the other,
and you dropped them from a certain
height simultaneously. Explain why
the falling coin is an excellent
example of free fall motion and the
sheet of paper is not.
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Bibliography

Hewitt, Paul G. 2010. Conceptual Physics (11th ed). New York: Pearson Education.

Macalalad, E. P. and Vergara, R. L. 2011. Exploring the Realms of Science: Physics. Valenzuela City: JO-ES
Publishing House, Inc.

Walker, J., Halliday, D., & Resnick, R. (2011). Fundamentals of physics. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Holt, R., Serway, R., & Faugn, J. (2006). Physics. Austin, TX.

Vincent P. Coletta. Physics Fundamentals. Physics Curriculum & Instruction, Inc.: 2010.

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