Freely falling bodies refer to objects that are dropped from a height and fall under the influence of gravity alone, without any other forces acting on them, such as air resistance. According to Galileo's observations, all objects, regardless of their mass, experience the same acceleration due to gravity, denoted as g, which is approximately 10m/s2 near the Earth's surface. This means that as a freely falling body descends, its velocity increases uniformly over time, leading to a predictable motion that can be described using the equations of motion. The study of freely falling bodies is fundamental in understanding gravitational effects and the principles of kinematics
What is a freely falling body?
A freely falling body is an object that is dropped from a height and falls solely under the influence of gravity, without any other forces acting on it, such as air resistance.
What is the acceleration due to gravity (g) for freely falling bodies near the Earth's surface?
he acceleration due to gravity (g) near the Earth's surface is approximately 10m/s2.
Does the mass of an object affect its rate of fall when dropped?
No, the mass of an object does not affect its rate of fall, all objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum regardless of their mass, as demonstrated by Galileo's experiments.
What happens to the velocity of a freely falling body as it falls?
The velocity of a freely falling body increases uniformly as it falls, due to the constant acceleration of gravity acting on it.
How does air resistance affect freely falling bodies?
In a real-world scenario, air resistance opposes the motion of falling bodies, causing them to fall slower than they would in a vacuum. However, in the absence of air resistance, all bodies fall at the same rate.
What is the acceleration due to gravity (g) near the Earth's surface?
a) 5m/s2
b) 10m/s2
c) 15m/s2
d) 20m/s2
Answer: b) 10m/s2
Which of the following statements is true about freely falling bodies?
a) Heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones.
b) All objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum.
c) Air resistance has no effect on falling objects.
d) Objects fall slower as they gain mass.
Answer: b) All objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum.
If an object is dropped from a height of 45 meters, how long will it take to reach the ground?
a) 3 seconds
b) 4.5 seconds
c) 6 seconds
d) 9 seconds
Answer: c) 6 seconds
Which scientist first demonstrated that all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass?
a) Isaac Newton
b) Albert Einstein
c) Galileo Galilei
d) Johannes Keple
Answer: c) Galileo Galilei
What happens to the velocity of a freely falling body as it falls?
a) It decreases uniformly.
b) It remains constant.
c) It increases uniformly.
d) It fluctuates randomly.
Answer: c) It increases uniformly.