Week 1 - Free Falling
- No, the mass and inertial properties of the body does not depend on the rate of fall. According to the Gravitational principle, the objects will fall at the same rate of velocity irrespective of their mass.
Consider an equation F=m*g (N)
Where, m= mass of the object in (Kg)
g= acceleration due to gravity in (m/s^2)
Figure 1: Simulation result of Free falling body due to gravity.
The above Figure shows the plot of free-falling body with respect to time. A body with a mass of 1kg and inertia of 1kgm^2, is left to fall under the influence of gravity which is due to self-weight. It shows that the body comes to the ground at 2 seconds under the influence of gravity, irrespective of mass.
- The factors that affect the rate of fall are the surface area of the object and also the resistance of air that is offered.