AQA GCSE Falling objects

AQA GCSE Falling objects

Falling objects

If there is any freely falling object near the surface of the Earth then the acceleration will be approximately 9.8 m/s due to the effect of the Earth’s gravity.
acceleration due to free fall with both a 10kg mass and a feather falling from the same building

In the example above both the 10kg mass and the feather will fall from the same tall building. Although the 10kg mass is much heavier than the feather, both objects accelerate downwards at 9.8m/s2.

This does assume that there  is no air resistance on both the feather and the mass. 

 

ball bearing in oil
In the diagram above the ball bearing is in oil, it will accelerate downwards at 9.8m/s2, assuming that there are no drag effects due to the oil.

Practice Question

1. A ball bearing of mass 0.1kg and a peanut of mass 0.01kg are both dropped in a vacuum. Which of the following statements would be correct?

a)The peanut accelerates faster than the ball bearing

b)Both the peanut and the ball bearing have equal acceleration

c)The ball bearing has a greater acceleration than the peanut.

2. What is meant by the term free fall of acceleration on Earth?

3. The Moon has a gravitational field 1/6th the strength of Earth’s gravitational field. Predict the acceleration an object would experience if it were dropped on the Moon. 

 

Accordion Content

Accordion Content

Accordion Content