Free fall calculator
In a vacuum, everything falls at the same rate. Air changes that, but not for the first second or two.
m/s2
Time to fall
1.428 09s
- Impact speed
- 14.004 749
- Impact speed
- 50.417 km/h
- Kinetic energy at impact
- 98.0665
- Time to fall halfway
- 1.009 81 s
Show the working
- Drop height = 10
- Mass = 1
- Gravity = 9.806 65
- Time to fall = sqrt(2 * 10 / 9.806 65) = 1.428 09
- Impact speed = sqrt(2 * 9.806 65 * 10) = 14.0047
- Impact speed = 14.0047 * 3.6 = 50.4171
- Kinetic energy at impact = 1 * 9.806 65 * 10 = 98.0665
- Time to fall halfway = sqrt(10 / 9.806 65) = 1.009 81
Values are shown to six significant figures here; the arithmetic itself runs on exact fractions and is only rounded where a number is printed.
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The formula
- t = sqrt(2h/g)
- v = sqrt(2gh)
- E = mgh
Air resistance is ignored. For a human body terminal velocity is around 55 m/s, which is reached after roughly 12 seconds and 450 metres.
The object takes longer to fall the second half than the first: halfway down takes 71% of the total time.