what is the acceleration of free fall

The acceleration of free fall is the acceleration produced in a body when it falls freely toward the Earth under the influence of gravity alone.

It is represented by the symbol:

g

Value of acceleration due to free fall

Near the surface of the Earth:

g = 9.8 m/s²

This means the velocity of a freely falling object increases by 9.8 m/s every second.

Important points

• It acts vertically downward toward the centre of the Earth.

• It is the same for all objects regardless of their mass, if air resistance is ignored.

• It is caused by Earth’s gravitational force.

Example

If an object is dropped from a height, its speed keeps increasing due to acceleration of free fall until it reaches the ground.

Acceleration of free fall is an important concept in physics and is widely used in motion and gravity calculations.