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A heavy object is released near the surface of the Earth and falls freely. Air resistance can be

ignored.Which statement about the acceleration of the object due to gravity is correct?

1 Answer

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Final answer:

In a vacuum near Earth's surface, an object falling freely will always have a constant acceleration of approximately 9.8 m/s² due to Earth's gravity, no matter the size or weight of the object.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement about the acceleration of the object due to gravity is that: it remains constant at approximately 9.8 m/s² towards the Earth's center. This is based on the principle of free fall which states that an object falling freely under the influence of gravity experiences a constant downward acceleration, given the condition that air resistance can be ignored. This constant rate, known as gravitational acceleration, is universally agreed to be approximately 9.8 m/s² on the surface of the Earth. Therefore, no matter the weight or size of an object, if it is falling freely near the Earth's surface, its acceleration due to gravity will always be near 9.8 m/s².

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