For objects in free fall, acceleration due to gravity is _________________ regardless of the direction of their velocities.
a
different depending on mass
b
inversely proportional
c
constant
d
the same
c) constant
The correct answer is c) constant.
The correct answer is c) constant.
To understand why the acceleration due to gravity is constant for objects in free fall, we first need to understand the concept of free fall. Free fall refers to the motion of an object solely under the influence of gravity, without any other forces acting on it.
In this scenario, the gravitational force (mg) is the only force acting on the object, where m represents the mass of the object and g represents the acceleration due to gravity. According to Newton's second law of motion, the net force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration (F = ma).
Since we are considering objects in free fall, the net force acting on them is given by the gravitational force:
mg = ma
Canceling mass on both sides of the equation, we get:
g = a
This equation demonstrates that the acceleration (a) of an object in free fall is equal to the acceleration due to gravity (g). So, irrespective of the object's mass or the direction of its velocity, the acceleration due to gravity remains constant.