Premium experiment • motion + energy
PHYSICS • MECHANICS
Free Fall
Drop an object, scrub through every instant, compare two gravitational fields and watch potential energy become kinetic energy while acceleration stays constant.
● LIVE EXPERIMENTEarth • falling from rest
Fall time0.00 s
Impact speed0.00 m/s
Reference time0.00 s
Target error0.00 s
Initial energy0 J
Progress0%
See constant acceleration directly
Pause and scrub the timeline to inspect the fall at any instant. The object's speed increases linearly with time while its remaining height follows a quadratic curve.
Fast investigations
- Drop from 30 m on Earth and record the impact speed.
- Compare Earth against Moon gravity while keeping height and mass identical.
- Double the mass and verify that fall time does not change, while mechanical energy doubles.
- Set a target fall time and tune height or gravity until the timing error approaches zero.
LEARN WITH THE SIMULATION
Understand Free Fall by experimenting.
START HERE
Free fall is motion under gravity alone. In the ideal model, every object at the same location has the same gravitational acceleration regardless of mass, so height controls how long the fall lasts and how fast the object is moving at impact.
BUILD THE IDEA
What you should understand first
- Relate height to fall time using constant-acceleration kinematics.
- Connect gravitational acceleration to impact speed.
- Distinguish acceleration from velocity.
TRY IT YOURSELF
How does doubling the drop height change impact speed?
- Choose a height and record the impact speed.
- Double the height while keeping gravity fixed.
- Compare the two speeds and test whether the speed also doubles.
Read the visual:
Impact speed grows with the square root of height, so doubling height increases speed by about √2 rather than 2.
WHY IT WORKS 01
Relate height to fall time using constant-acceleration kinematics.
Free fall is motion under gravity alone. In the ideal model, every object at the same location has the same gravitational acceleration regardless of mass, so height controls how long the fall lasts and how fast the object is moving at impact. Focus on the relationship between the controlled variable and the measured response rather than treating the visual change as the explanation.
WHY IT WORKS 02
Connect gravitational acceleration to impact speed.
Impact speed grows with the square root of height, so doubling height increases speed by about √2 rather than 2. Use an extreme or boundary setting after the baseline trial to check whether the same reasoning still holds.
DO NOT MIX THESE UP
Common misconception
Heavier objects do not fall faster in the ideal vacuum model. Acceleration can stay constant while velocity changes continuously. Air resistance is deliberately omitted here.
PRACTICE CHALLENGE
How does doubling the drop height change impact speed?
- Choose a height and record the impact speed.
- Double the height while keeping gravity fixed.
- Compare the two speeds and test whether the speed also doubles.
Reveal the reasoning
Impact speed grows with the square root of height, so doubling height increases speed by about √2 rather than 2. Heavier objects do not fall faster in the ideal vacuum model. Acceleration can stay constant while velocity changes continuously. Air resistance is deliberately omitted here.
MODEL BOUNDARIES
What this simulation assumes
Every simulation simplifies reality or a mathematical system. These are the assumptions and limits to keep in mind while interpreting the results.
Model assumptions
- Motion is one-dimensional and vertical.
- Gravity is constant and is the only force acting.
- The falling object is treated as a point mass.
Model limitations
- Air drag, buoyancy and object shape are not represented.
- Results are a near-Earth classical approximation, not a relativistic or orbital model.
CONNECT IT
Where this matters
- Drop tests
- Safety calculations
- Planetary gravity comparisons
WORDS THAT MATTER
Key vocabulary
- Acceleration
- Rate at which velocity changes.
- Impact speed
- Speed immediately before reaching the ground.
- Free fall
- Motion in which gravity is the only force modeled.
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