Final answer:
Yes, it is a fact that if you drop a rock, it will fall 16 feet in the first second. The distance a rock falls is a linear function of time.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that if you drop a rock, it will fall 16 feet in the first second of the fall. This is due to the constant acceleration of gravity acting on the rock. The distance a rock falls is a linear function of the time since the rock was dropped, assuming there is no air resistance or friction.
Gravity is the force that causes objects to fall towards the center of the Earth. It acts on all objects with the same constant acceleration, regardless of their mass. This is why all objects, regardless of their weight, fall at the same rate in a vacuum.
Therefore, the statement that the distance a rock falls is a linear function of time is true.