Question

Which of these is the best example of free fall?

o a plane flying horizontally a plane flying horizontally
o a parachutist descending to earth with his or her parachute open
o a parachutist descending to earth with his or her parachute open
o a baseball thrown directly upward inside a huge tube with air removed from it
o a baseball thrown directly upward inside a huge tube with air removed from it
o a skydiver falling downward

Answer 1

The best example of free fall is a baseball thrown directly upward inside a huge tube with air removed from it, as it exemplifies an object accelerating under gravity without any air resistance to alter its free-fall motion. Option d is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept of free fall pertains to the motion of an object that falls due to gravity, without any form of air resistance. In such a scenario, all objects will accelerate at the same rate, regardless of their mass. A quintessential scenario demonstrating free fall is that of a baseball thrown directly upward inside a huge tube with air removed from it. The absence of air resistance means that the baseball is only subjected to the force of gravity and thus experiences free fall during both its ascent and descent.

Skydivers, on the other hand, do not represent a perfect example of free fall because they are significantly affected by air resistance, especially when their parachute is open. Air resistance counteracts the acceleration due to gravity, which means the skydiver does not accelerate at the same rate once the parachute opens or when they reach their terminal velocity.

Therefore, the correct option answer to the question 'Which of these is the best example of free fall?' is the baseball thrown upward inside a vacuum tube, where no air resistance is present.