About Free Fall Calculator
Free fall is the motion of an object under the influence of gravity alone, with no air resistance. This calculator helps you determine the time, height, and velocity of objects in free fall using fundamental physics equations.
What is Free Fall?
Free fall is motion under gravity alone, with no air resistance. All objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass.
- Constant acceleration (g)
- Velocity increases linearly
- Independent of mass
Free Fall Equations
The calculator uses three fundamental equations of motion:
- Time from height: t = √(2h/g) - Calculate how long an object takes to fall from a given height
- Height from time: h = ½gt² - Calculate the distance fallen after a specific time
- Final velocity: v = gt - Calculate the velocity reached after falling for time t
Where g is the gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s² on Earth), h is height, t is time, and v is velocity.
Applications
- Physics Experiments: Physics experiments - Verify gravitational laws and motion principles
- Safety Calculations: Safety calculations - Determine fall times and impact velocities for safety planning
- Extreme Sports: Skydiving and BASE jumping - Calculate free fall parameters for skydivers
- Engineering Design: Engineering design - Design safety systems and impact protection
- Ballistics: Ballistics - Analyze projectile motion and trajectories
How to Use This Calculator
- Select what you want to calculate (time, height, or both from velocity)
- Choose your preferred height unit (meters or feet)
- Enter the known value (height, time, or velocity)
- Adjust gravitational acceleration if needed (default is Earth's gravity)
- Click Calculate to see detailed results including final velocity and calculation steps
Important Notes
This calculator assumes ideal conditions with no air resistance. In reality, air drag significantly affects falling objects, especially at higher velocities. Terminal velocity (the maximum speed reached when air resistance equals gravitational force) is not accounted for in these calculations. For real-world applications involving air resistance, more complex models are required.