Free Fall Calculator
Find the velocity, time, and distance of an object in free fall under gravity.
m
s
m/s
m/s²
Final Velocity (v)
Fall Time (t)
Distance Fallen (h)
About Free Fall
Free fall describes the motion of an object moving under the influence of gravity alone. Near Earth's surface, every freely falling body accelerates downward at the same constant rate, regardless of its mass.
Free Fall Equations
- v = v₀ + g·t - Final velocity
- h = v₀·t + ½·g·t² - Distance fallen
- v = √(v₀² + 2·g·h) - Velocity from height
- t = (−v₀ + √(v₀² + 2·g·h)) / g - Time from height
The Meaning of g
The symbol g is the acceleration due to gravity. On Earth its standard value is about 9.81 m/s², meaning a falling object gains 9.81 m/s of speed every second. The value differs on other bodies (for example about 1.62 m/s² on the Moon), so you can change it to model free fall elsewhere.
Assumptions
- Air resistance (drag) is neglected.
- The motion occurs effectively in a vacuum.
- Gravity is treated as constant over the fall.
- Downward is taken as the positive direction.