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Experimentally, you can drop the object from a fixed height several times and in

each case get the accurate time it takes for the object to reach the ground (with a

precision stop watch). Take the average of these times. That would be the time.

Mathematically, you do the following

s = V0 t + 1/2 g t2 .

V0 is the initial velocity, usually zero, 's' is the distance that the object falls in free

motion under gravity, and 't' is the time spent falling. So the equation reduces to

s = 1/2 g t2.

Measure 's' accurately in the units of your choice, find the value of 'g' in the units

you have chosen. Plug in the values and solve for 't' the time

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Q: How do you calculate the total time taken for a free falling object to reach the ground?
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Continue Learning about Physics

What causes a falling object to reach terminal velocity?

Its the air resistance that causes the free falling body to reach its terminal velocity


Is terminal velocity the highest velocity that a falling object will reach?

Absolutely correct.


How does acceleration affect falling objects?

As objects fall, they are accelerated by the force of gravity, which causes them to continually fall faster, until they either reach the ground, or until they reach what is known as terminal velocity, which is the speed at which air resistance is equal to the force of gravity, so that the falling object does not accelerate any more.


Will the object accelerate in free fall because the only force acting on its gravity?

A falling object will continue to accelerate when free falling, but each object has a maximum speed which it can reach (but go no faster than this speed) when free falling from great heights. True.


Does the speed of an object in air continue to increase until it hits the ground?

It depends on how high it is when it start falling. If it is high enough, it will reach its terminal velocity and stop accelerating before it hits the ground. As an object is falling, it has to push through air below it. The faster it falls, the greater the air resistance (or drag) to the object. At some point, the amount of air resistance will be equal to the pull of gravity (its weight) and it will not be able to go any faster. We call this its terminal velocity, the maximum speed it can reach as it is falling through air. A larger or wider object will have more drag than a smaller object of the same weight and will have different maximum speeds. That is why a person falling from a plane with a parachute will stop going faster after the parachute opens and the drag increases because of the shape of the open parachute.

Related questions

What occurs only when air resistance does not affect the motion of a falling object?

The mass of an object will not affect the time it takes for it to reach the ground from a fixed height. Backspace


What causes a falling object to reach terminal velocity?

Its the air resistance that causes the free falling body to reach its terminal velocity


What is the greates velocity a falling object can reach called?

The fastest velocity a falling object can reach is called its terminal velocity. This happens when the force of air resistance is equal to the downwards force of weight (gravity), so the object is in equilibrium, and thus reaches a constant velocity.


Is terminal velocity the highest velocity that a falling object will reach?

Absolutely correct.


How does acceleration affect falling objects?

As objects fall, they are accelerated by the force of gravity, which causes them to continually fall faster, until they either reach the ground, or until they reach what is known as terminal velocity, which is the speed at which air resistance is equal to the force of gravity, so that the falling object does not accelerate any more.


How can height affect the time for an object to fall?

The acceleration of gravity is 32 feet per second, per second. This means that --eliminating any obvious aerodynamic considerations as there would be with, say, a feather -- the speed at which an object falls increases proportionately to the time it is falling. An object falling from a greater height will be falling for a longer time period and thus will reach a higher velocity and impact the ground with a greater force than one falling from a lower height.


Does an object fall at 32 feet per second per second?

The acceleration of a free falling object is 32 feet per second per second. This is acceleration due to gravity. This is, of course, not the velocity of the falling object, but if you know a little bit more about the falling object you can figure out its velocity using constant acceleration formulas:: : : : For example:If you are standing on the top floor of the Eiffel tower, which is 896 feet above ground, and drop something out of the window, you can calculate how fast it is going just before it hits the ground using equation 4.vi = 0s-si=896 feeta=32 feet/second/secondPlugging in our values, we find that the object would be traveling at 239.466 feet/second.You could also figure out long it takes to reach the ground using either equation 2 or 3.This is, of course, an ideal case where there is no wind or air resistance.


Will the object accelerate in free fall because the only force acting on its gravity?

A falling object will continue to accelerate when free falling, but each object has a maximum speed which it can reach (but go no faster than this speed) when free falling from great heights. True.


Does the speed of an object in air continue to increase until it hits the ground?

It depends on how high it is when it start falling. If it is high enough, it will reach its terminal velocity and stop accelerating before it hits the ground. As an object is falling, it has to push through air below it. The faster it falls, the greater the air resistance (or drag) to the object. At some point, the amount of air resistance will be equal to the pull of gravity (its weight) and it will not be able to go any faster. We call this its terminal velocity, the maximum speed it can reach as it is falling through air. A larger or wider object will have more drag than a smaller object of the same weight and will have different maximum speeds. That is why a person falling from a plane with a parachute will stop going faster after the parachute opens and the drag increases because of the shape of the open parachute.


What acceleration does the object reach when air resistance equals the force of gravity on a falling object?

the acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s


When a object falls what does it reach because of air resistance?

When an object falls, air resistance causes it to reach a terminal velocity. After that, it does not increase the speed of falling, no matter how far it has still to fall.


Why does an object falling under earth's gravitational field reach a steady velocity?

As a falling object speeds up, at some point the amount of air resistance is equal to the acceleration of gravity, and the object then falls at a steady velocity known as the terminal velocity, until it impacts the ground. Notice that this behavior has nothing to do with gravity in general or the Earth in particular. It's all the result of air.