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35 votes
What happens to distance and velocity if the time to fall increases or decreases?

User Timka
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1 Answer

14 votes
14 votes

In free-fall motion the velocity is given by the following equation of motion:


v=v_0-gt

Where:


\begin{gathered} v=\text{ velocity} \\ g=\text{ acceleration of gravity} \\ t=\text{ time} \end{gathered}

Therefore, the velocity increases linearly with time. This happens if the object encounters no air resistance. In the case that there is air resistance the object will reach a terminal velocity.

In the case of distance, this is given by the following equation:


s=v_0t-(1)/(2)gt^2_{}

This means that the distance increases with time following a parabolic function.

User Steve Fitzsimons
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