What describes the motion of a body solely due to gravity with no other forces acting?

What describes the motion of a body solely due to gravity with no other forces acting?

• A. Terminal velocity
• B. Projectile motion
• C. Free fall
• D. Uniform motion

Answer: (C)

The motion of a body solely due to gravity, with no other forces acting on it, is best described by the concept of free fall. In free fall, an object accelerates downwards toward the Earth under the influence of gravity alone, experiencing a constant acceleration of approximately 9.81 m/s² (assuming we neglect air resistance for this scenario). This means that in free fall, the only force acting on the object is its weight, resulting from gravitational attraction. This condition leads to a situation where the object's velocity increases uniformly as it descends, exemplifying Newton's second law of motion, where the net force on the object corresponds directly to its acceleration. Other terms mentioned, such as terminal velocity and projectile motion, do not fit this definition. Terminal velocity occurs when the force of drag balances the weight of a falling object, leading to a constant speed rather than acceleration. Projectile motion involves an object moving through the air under the influence of both gravity and an initial thrown velocity, hence not solely due to gravity. Uniform motion indicates a steady velocity with no acceleration, which also does not apply when an object is falling freely due to gravity.

The motion of a body solely due to gravity, with no other forces acting on it, is best described by the concept of free fall. In free fall, an object accelerates downwards toward the Earth under the influence of gravity alone, experiencing a constant acceleration of approximately 9.81 m/s² (assuming we neglect air resistance for this scenario).

This means that in free fall, the only force acting on the object is its weight, resulting from gravitational attraction. This condition leads to a situation where the object's velocity increases uniformly as it descends, exemplifying Newton's second law of motion, where the net force on the object corresponds directly to its acceleration.

Other terms mentioned, such as terminal velocity and projectile motion, do not fit this definition. Terminal velocity occurs when the force of drag balances the weight of a falling object, leading to a constant speed rather than acceleration. Projectile motion involves an object moving through the air under the influence of both gravity and an initial thrown velocity, hence not solely due to gravity. Uniform motion indicates a steady velocity with no acceleration, which also does not apply when an object is falling freely due to gravity.