Free-Fall Problems in 1-dimension Name_______________________________
Honors Physics
Good techniques and habits for solving problems
Draw a picture to help you visualize what’s going on.
Label the picture with given information (numbers
and/or words).
Write down what you know with variables (e.g., d = 5 m
t = 2 s )
Write down what you are looking for with a variable
(e.g., a = ???)
Choose an appropriate formula that will allow you to
solve for the unknown. Write it down.
Mathematically solve the problem (either plug in
numbers and solve OR rearrange algebraically and then
plug in)
Free-Fall Problems
Free-fall is when an object is only acted on by gravity.
The acceleration of the object is -9.8 m/s2 for an object
near the surface of the Earth. The negative sign simply
indicates this acceleration is always downward.
If an object is dropped, then its initial velocity is 0 m/s.
If an object is projected upwards with an initial velocity,
then its velocity will decrease on the way up until its
velocity is 0 m/s at the top of its path.
For all of these problems, disregard air resistance.
1. An object is dropped from rest and falls freely 20. meters to Earth. When is the speed of the object 9.8 meters per
second? (this is a multiple choice concept question)
a) during the entire first second of its fall
b) at the end of its first second of fall
c) during its entire time of fall
d) after it has fallen 9.8 meters
2. You drop a stone down off a bridge. You are able to count to 4.0 seconds when it finally hits the water. How high
is the bridge?
3. Niagara Falls is 51 meters high. If you dropped a ball off the ledge, how much time would it take it to hit the
water?
4. If you dropped your cell phone from a height of 1.20 m above the ground, with what speed would it strike the
ground?
5. An astronaut drops a rock on planet X from a height of 0.72 m above the ground. If it takes 0.63 seconds for the
rock to strike the ground, what is the acceleration on planet X?
6. Which graph best represents the motion of a freely falling body near the Earth's surface?
7. An 8.0 kg bowling ball is dropped from a height of 20.0 meters above the ground. Which graph below best
represents the relationship between acceleration (a) and time (t) for the object?
8. A ball is thrown vertically upward with an initial velocity of 29.4 meters per second. What is the maximum height
reached by the ball?
9. You fire a paintball from a paintball gun straight up into the air at 25.0 m/s.
a) What is the instantaneous velocity at the top of its flight? (no calculation required)
b) What is the acceleration at the top of its flight? (no calculation required)
c) What is the maximum height the paintball will reach?
10. A Nerf gun is shot straight up from the ground with an initial velocity of 14.0 m/s. What is the total time the
projectile is in the air?
Selected Answers
2. 78.4 m 3. 3.23 s 4. 4.85 m/s 5. 3.6 m/s2 8. 44.1 m 9. c) 31.9 m 10. 2.86 s
