Free Fall & Motion Graphs
Drop or throw an object and watch position and velocity graphs build in real time.
Time0 s
Height0 m
Velocity0 m/s
Total fall time0 s
Impact speed0 m/s
What you can learn
- Under gravity alone, velocity changes by g every second, so the velocity-time graph is a straight line.
- The position-time graph of free fall is a parabola.
- Fall time from rest is t = √(2h / g), and it does not depend on mass.
Frequently asked questions
Do heavier objects fall faster?
Not without air resistance. All objects accelerate at the same rate g, so a heavy and a light object dropped together land together.
What does the slope of a velocity-time graph mean?
The slope is acceleration. In free fall it is constant and equal to g.