The free-fall tag has no wiki summary.
45
votes
9answers
8k views
Don't heavier objects actually fall faster because they exert their own gravity?
The common understanding is that, setting air resistance aside, all objects dropped to Earth fall at the same rate. This is often demonstrated through the thought experiment of cutting a large object ...
3
votes
1answer
274 views
Radial fall in a Newtonian gravitational field [duplicate]
Suppose an object of mass $m$ starts at rest at a radial distance $ r_0$ from a perfectly spherical mass $M$ (where $m << M$), $r_0 > R =$ radius of $M$.
Can we analytically determine when ...
1
vote
4answers
4k views
Free falling of object with no air resistance
Why does an object with smaller mass hits the ground at same time compared to object with greater mass? I understand the acceleration due to gravity of earth will be same but won't the object with ...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
From how high could have Felix Baumgartner jumped without disintegrating like a shooting star?
Today Felix Baumgartner jumped from 39 kilometres high and reached the earth safely.
Just considering friction, from how high can a human jump?
I expect that from a certain height, he would have ...
2
votes
3answers
186 views
Why can't we think of free fall as upside down rocket?
/\
/ \
| |
| m |
| |
------ <--- floor (Rocket A)
This rocket is accelerated (g) upwards then mass(m) falls on the floor.
...
3
votes
1answer
348 views
Coriolis force in free fall
Does the coriolis force has any measurable effect in free fall from large heights?
Take for example the sky diving experiment by F. Baumgartner who started from a height of about 40 km above New ...
10
votes
7answers
2k views
Would it help if you jump inside a free falling elevator?
Imagine you're trapped inside a free falling elevator. Would you decrease your impact impulse by jumping during the fall? When?
1
vote
1answer
717 views
Trajectory of projectile thrown downhill
I'm teaching myself mechanics, and set out to solve a problem determining the optimum angle to throw a projectile when standing on a hill, for maximum range. My answer seems almost plausible, except ...
26
votes
6answers
23k views
Could someone jump from the international space station and live?
Felix Baumgartner just completed his breathtaking free-fall skydiving jump from $120,000\,\text{feet} = 39\,\text{km}$ above the Earth, breaking the speed of sound during the process.
I was wondering ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
Water pressure in free fall
The increasing water pressure as you go deeper is generally explained in terms of the weight of the water column above the observation point pressing down. The question, then, is what would happen if ...
3
votes
4answers
757 views
Can a balloon float into space? (+orbital velocity)
After watching the recent "space jump" a question arose. Why can a balloon not float into space? Can one be made/designed to do this?
Next, everything in orbit is falling back to earth. It only ...
1
vote
3answers
802 views
Why is heavier object more reluctant to get falling down?
Is it because of the upward force that stops the object? for example-
