Question:

What is free fall? When is it possible?

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Free fall occurs when an object moves under the influence of gravity alone. It is truly possible in a vacuum where there is no air resistance.
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding free fall
- When an object falls freely under the influence of gravity alone, it is said to be in free fall. - There is no external force like air resistance acting on it. - The only force acting on the object is its weight, which causes it to accelerate downward with an acceleration equal to \(\text{g} = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2\).
Step 2: When is free fall possible?
- Free fall occurs in the absence of air resistance. This means that objects falling in a vacuum experience true free fall. - In reality, on Earth, air resistance affects falling objects. However, in space or vacuum chambers, objects experience pure free fall. - A good example is astronauts in orbit. They are in a continuous state of free fall around Earth, experiencing weightlessness. Thus, free fall is the motion of an object under gravity alone, and it is possible when air resistance is negligible or in a vacuum.
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