Free fall is motion under gravity alone with no air resistance. On Earth, gravity accelerates every object at g = 9.807 m/s² regardless of mass — meaning speed increases by 9.807 m/s every second. The free fall equations are: v = g × t, d = ½ × g × t², and v² = 2gd.

Free Fall Calculator — Distance, Time, Velocity & Terminal Velocity

Physics · Kinematics

Free Fall Calculator

Q: What are the free fall equations?

The three free fall equations (starting from rest, v₀ = 0) are: (1) v = g × t — velocity after time t; (2) d = ½ × g × t² — distance fallen in time t; (3) v² = 2 × g × d — velocity after falling distance d. Rearranged: t = √(2d/g) gives time from distance, and t = v/g gives time from velocity.

Q: How fast does a falling object go?

In free fall (no air resistance) on Earth, an object gains 9.807 m/s (about 22 mph) of speed every second. After 1 second: 9.8 m/s (35 km/h). After 3 seconds: 29.4 m/s (106 km/h). After 5 seconds: 49 m/s (176 km/h). Real objects are slowed by air resistance and reach terminal velocity.

Q: Does mass affect how fast things fall?

In a vacuum (true free fall), mass does NOT affect fall speed — all objects fall at the same rate g = 9.807 m/s². This was proven by Galileo. However, in air, mass DOES affect terminal velocity: heavier objects reach higher terminal speeds because more gravitational force is needed to balance drag.

Q: What is terminal velocity?

Terminal velocity is the maximum falling speed reached when air drag equals gravitational force, so there is no more acceleration. The formula is v_t = √(2mg / (ρ × Cd × A)). A skydiver in spread-eagle position reaches about 55 m/s (125 mph). In head-down position: about 75 m/s (167 mph). With an open parachute: about 6 m/s (13 mph).

Q: How fast do you fall per second in free fall?

In free fall on Earth, you gain 9.807 m/s (32.2 ft/s, 21.9 mph) of speed every second. After 1 second you fall at 9.8 m/s, after 2 seconds at 19.6 m/s, after 3 seconds at 29.4 m/s. The distance fallen follows d = ½ × g × t² — so 4.9 m in the first second, 19.6 m after 2 seconds, 44.1 m after 3 seconds.

Calculate free fall distance, time, and velocity using the kinematic equations v = g×t, d = ½×g×t², and v² = 2gd — solving for any unknown from any known — plus a terminal velocity calculator with air resistance, and a complete reference table showing fall times and speeds for heights from 10 feet to 30,000 feet. The free fall calculator uses the standard free fall equation with g = 9.807 m/s².

Free Fall Calculator — v=gt, d=½gt², v²=2gd

Solve for:

Known value — Time t:

Initial velocity v₀ (0 = dropped from rest):

Mass (optional, for kinetic energy):

Gravity g:

100 ft drop

10 ft drop

1000 ft drop

1 story

3 seconds

6 seconds

10 seconds

30,000 ft

Error

⏱ Time

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⚡ Velocity

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📏 Distance

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Free Fall Equations Applied

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Step-by-Step Working

Time Milestones (same gravity, from rest)

Time	Velocity	km/h	mph	Distance	Feet

Trajectory Graph — Velocity & Distance vs Time

No air resistance With air resistance Terminal velocity

Terminal Velocity Calculator

At terminal velocity, air drag equals gravity — the object stops accelerating and falls at constant speed. Formula: v_t = √(2mg / (ρ × Cd × A))

Select object:

Mass (kg)

Drag coeff. Cd

Area A (m²)

Air density:

Error

Terminal Velocity

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Step-by-Step — Terminal Velocity Calculation

Terminal Velocity — With vs Without Air Resistance

No air resistance (v=gt) With air resistance v_t (terminal velocity)

Terminal Velocity Reference — Common Objects

Object	Terminal Velocity (m/s)	km/h	mph	Notes
Skydiver (spread eagle)	~55 m/s	~198 km/h	~123 mph	~42.8 m/s theoretical; ~55 m/s real world
Skydiver (head down)	~75 m/s	~270 km/h	~167 mph	Streamlined position
Human with parachute	~5–7 m/s	~18–25 km/h	~11–15 mph	Safe landing speed
Baseball	~42 m/s	~151 km/h	~94 mph	145g, Cd≈0.47
Golf ball	~32 m/s	~115 km/h	~71 mph	Dimpled surface lowers Cd
Tennis ball	~31 m/s	~112 km/h	~69 mph	58g, Cd≈0.50
Raindrop (3mm)	~9 m/s	~32 km/h	~20 mph	Drops hit gently due to low mass
Cat	~27 m/s	~97 km/h	~60 mph	Spreads body like a parachute
Feather	~1 m/s	~3.6 km/h	~2.2 mph	Very high Cd, tiny mass
Ant	~1 m/s	~3.6 km/h	~2.2 mph	Survives falls from any height!

How Long to Fall — Complete Reference Table

⚠️ No air resistance assumed. These calculations use d = ½ × g × t² and v = √(2gd) with g = 9.807 m/s². Real objects reach terminal velocity well before the speeds shown for large heights. Heights marked ★ are real-world reference points.

Height (ft)	Height (m)	Fall Time	Velocity (mph)	Velocity (km/h)	Velocity (m/s)	Notes
10 ft	3.05 m	0.79 s	17.3 mph	27.9 km/h	7.74 m/s	One-storey window
20 ft	6.10 m	1.12 s	24.5 mph	39.4 km/h	10.94 m/s	2-storey roof
30 ft	9.14 m	1.37 s	30.0 mph	48.2 km/h	13.40 m/s	3-storey building
40 ft	12.19 m	1.58 s	34.6 mph	55.7 km/h	15.47 m/s
50 ft	15.24 m	1.76 s	38.7 mph	62.3 km/h	17.30 m/s	4–5 storey building
100 ft	30.48 m	2.49 s	54.8 mph	88.2 km/h	24.49 m/s	★ 100 ft — common reference
200 ft	60.96 m	3.52 s	77.5 mph	124.7 km/h	34.64 m/s	20-storey building
300 ft	91.44 m	4.32 s	94.9 mph	152.7 km/h	42.43 m/s	30-storey building
500 ft	152.40 m	5.57 s	122.5 mph	197.1 km/h	54.75 m/s	Near typical terminal v
1,000 ft	304.8 m	7.89 s	173.4 mph	278.9 km/h	77.41 m/s	★ How long to fall 1000 feet = 7.89 s
2,000 ft	609.6 m	11.16 s	245.2 mph	394.6 km/h	109.51 m/s	★ How long to fall 2000 feet = 11.16 s
3,000 ft	914.4 m	13.67 s	300.3 mph	483.3 km/h	134.14 m/s	★ How long to fall 3000 feet = 13.67 s
4,000 ft	1219.2 m	15.78 s	346.7 mph	557.8 km/h	154.94 m/s	★ How long to fall 4000 feet = 15.78 s
5,000 ft	1524.0 m	17.64 s	387.7 mph	623.8 km/h	173.24 m/s	Burj Khalifa height (1828m≈6000ft)
10,000 ft	3048.0 m	24.95 s	548.0 mph	881.9 km/h	244.95 m/s	★ How long to fall 10,000 feet = 24.95 s
20,000 ft	6096.0 m	35.27 s	775.0 mph	1247.0 km/h	346.41 m/s	★ How long to fall 20,000 feet = 35.27 s
30,000 ft	9144.0 m	43.21 s	949.3 mph	1527.5 km/h	424.26 m/s	★ Cruising altitude — 30,000 ft = 43.21 s

How to read this table: "How long does it take to fall 1,000 feet?" → find the 1,000 ft row → 7.89 seconds, reaching 173 mph. "How long to fall 3,000 feet?" → 13.67 seconds, 300 mph. "How long to fall 10,000 feet?" → 24.95 seconds, 548 mph. All values assume free fall — no air resistance. Real skydivers reach terminal velocity (~125 mph) long before these theoretical speeds.

Free Fall — Formulas, Equations & Constants

Table A — Free Fall Equations (v₀ = 0)

Find	Given	Formula	Example (t=5s, g=9.807)
Velocity v	Time t	v = g × t	v = 9.807 × 5 = 49.04 m/s
Distance d	Time t	d = ½ × g × t²	d = ½ × 9.807 × 25 = 122.6 m
Velocity v	Distance d	v = √(2gd)	v = √(2×9.807×122.6) = 49.04 m/s
Time t	Distance d	t = √(2d/g)	t = √(2×122.6/9.807) = 5.00 s
Time t	Velocity v	t = v/g	t = 49.04/9.807 = 5.00 s
Distance d	Velocity v	d = v²/(2g)	d = 49.04²/(2×9.807) = 122.6 m

Table B — Gravity on Other Bodies

Body	g (m/s²)	vs Earth	Fall from 10m — time	Fall from 10m — velocity
Earth	9.807	1.0×	1.43 s	14.01 m/s
Moon	1.62	0.165×	3.51 s	5.69 m/s
Mars	3.721	0.379×	2.32 s	8.62 m/s
Jupiter	24.79	2.53×	0.90 s	22.27 m/s
Sun	274.0	27.9×	0.27 s	74.07 m/s
Mercury	3.70	0.378×	2.32 s	8.60 m/s
Venus	8.87	0.905×	1.50 s	13.32 m/s

Table C — Drag Coefficients (Cd)

Shape / Object	Cd	Notes
Sphere	0.47	Smooth sphere, Reynolds ~10⁵
Golf ball (dimpled)	0.25	Dimples reduce drag
Flat plate (face-on)	1.28	Maximum drag
Streamlined body	0.04	Teardrop shape
Human (spread eagle)	1.0–1.3	Skydiver position
Human (head down)	0.7	Streamlined position
Parachute (open)	1.75	High drag by design
Cylinder (long axis ↓)	0.82	Upright orientation
Cone (apex down)	0.50	Semi-angle 60°
Car (modern)	0.25–0.35	Varies by model

Key Formulas

v = g × t Velocity after time t in free fall (v₀ = 0)

d = ½ × g × t² Distance fallen in time t

v² = 2 × g × d Velocity after falling distance d

v_t = √(2mg / ρCdA) Terminal velocity — with air resistance

v(t) = v_t × tanh(g×t / v_t) Exact velocity with drag (tanh solution)

Free Fall Calculator — v=gt, d=½gt², v²=2gd

This free fall calculator computes fall distance, fall time, and fall velocity using the three kinematic free fall equations — v = g×t, d = ½×g×t², and v² = 2gd — solving for any unknown from any given value, with step-by-step working and automatic unit conversion between m/s, km/h, mph, and ft/s.

Free Fall Equations — v=gt, d=½gt², v²=2gd

Free fall is motion under gravity alone with no air resistance. On Earth, gravity g = 9.807 m/s² accelerates every falling object equally — speed increases by 9.807 m/s every second regardless of mass. Starting from rest (v₀ = 0), the three free fall equations are all you need:

v = g × t d = ½ × g × t² v² = 2 × g × d The three free fall formulas — g = 9.807 m/s² on Earth

These free fall formulas are three views of the same motion:

v = g × t — the velocity formula for gravity: velocity increases linearly with time. After 1s → 9.8 m/s (35 km/h). After 2s → 19.6 m/s (70 km/h). After 3s → 29.4 m/s (106 km/h).
d = ½ × g × t² — the free fall distance formula: distance is proportional to t² (parabolic). After 1s → 4.9 m. After 2s → 19.6 m. After 3s → 44.1 m.
v² = 2 × g × d — the equation of a falling object relating velocity directly to distance — no time needed.

The falling time equation is derived by rearranging d = ½gt²: t = √(2d/g). To find time from velocity: t = v/g. To find distance from velocity: d = v²/(2g). All six forms appear in the Reference tab above.

How to Calculate Free Fall — Step-by-Step

The method for the free fall calculation depends on what you know. Here are four completely worked examples showing how to calculate the velocity of a falling object from different starting information.

Example 1 — 3-Second Free Fall: How far does an object fall in 3 seconds?

Known: t = 3 s, g = 9.807 m/s², v₀ = 0
Apply free fall distance formula: d = ½ × g × t² = ½ × 9.807 × 3² = ½ × 9.807 × 9 = 44.13 m
Apply free fall velocity formula: v = g × t = 9.807 × 3 = 29.42 m/s
Convert: 29.42 m/s = 105.9 km/h = 65.8 mph = 96.5 ft/s
Convert distance: 44.13 m = 144.8 ft = 0.0441 km

Example 2 — How fast after falling 100 feet?

Convert: 100 ft × 0.3048 = 30.48 m
Apply v² = 2gd: v² = 2 × 9.807 × 30.48 = 597.9 → v = √597.9 = 24.45 m/s
Find time: t = √(2d/g) = √(2×30.48/9.807) = √(6.218) = 2.49 s
Convert: 24.45 m/s = 88.0 km/h = 54.7 mph
You hit the ground at 54.7 mph after 2.49 seconds.

Example 3 — How long to fall 1,000 feet? (A common search query)

Convert: 1,000 ft × 0.3048 = 304.8 m
Apply t = √(2d/g) = √(2 × 304.8 / 9.807) = √(62.17) = 7.89 s
Apply v = g × t = 9.807 × 7.89 = 77.4 m/s = 173 mph = 278.9 km/h
Note: This is theoretical — air resistance limits real objects to ~55 m/s (123 mph) for a person.

Example 4 — How far do you fall in 6 seconds?

Known: t = 6 s, g = 9.807 m/s², v₀ = 0
Apply d = ½ × g × t² = ½ × 9.807 × 36 = 176.5 m = 579 ft
Apply v = g × t = 9.807 × 6 = 58.8 m/s = 211.7 km/h = 131.6 mph

How Fast Does Something Fall? — Speed at Common Heights

Using the free fall equation v = √(2gd), here is how fast objects fall from common heights. These represent the free fall speed without air resistance — the theoretical maximum the velocity of a falling object can reach:

Height	Fall Time	Speed (mph)	Speed (km/h)	Speed (m/s)
10 ft (3.05 m)	0.79 s	17.3 mph	27.9 km/h	7.74 m/s
100 ft (30.48 m)	2.49 s	54.8 mph	88.2 km/h	24.49 m/s
1,000 ft (304.8 m)	7.89 s	173.4 mph	278.9 km/h	77.41 m/s
3,000 ft (914.4 m)	13.67 s	300.3 mph	483.3 km/h	134.1 m/s
10,000 ft (3,048 m)	24.95 s	548.0 mph	881.9 km/h	244.9 m/s
30,000 ft (9,144 m)	43.21 s	949.3 mph	1,527 km/h	424.3 m/s

Without air resistance, a 100-foot fall reaches 54.8 mph and a 1,000-foot fall would reach 173 mph — but real objects never reach these speeds due to air resistance. A person reaches terminal velocity around 55 m/s (125 mph) after about 450 m (1,476 ft) — so speeds above ~125 mph in the table are physically unreachable in air.

Terminal Velocity — When Air Resistance Stops Acceleration

As a falling object speeds up, air resistance (drag) increases proportionally to v². At terminal velocity, drag exactly equals gravitational force — net force becomes zero and the object stops accelerating, falling at constant speed. The terminal velocity formula is:

v_t = √(2mg / (ρ × Cd × A)) m = mass (kg) · g = 9.807 m/s² · ρ = air density · Cd = drag coefficient · A = cross-section area

A skydiver in spread-eagle position (m=80kg, Cd=1.0, A=0.7m²) reaches terminal velocity ≈ 55 m/s (125 mph) — this takes about 450 meters and 10–12 seconds of falling. In head-down position: terminal velocity ≈ 75 m/s (167 mph). With an open parachute (A≈30m²): terminal velocity ≈ 6 m/s (13 mph) — a safe landing speed.

Why do cats survive falls from great heights? They spread their legs to increase cross-sectional area, reducing their terminal velocity to about 27 m/s (60 mph), and then relax their bodies further. Ants have an even lower terminal velocity (~1 m/s) and can survive falls from any height without injury.

Free Fall with Initial Velocity — Thrown Objects

When an object has initial velocity v₀ ≠ 0, use the extended free fall equations:

v = v₀ + g×t — final velocity
d = v₀t + ½gt² — displacement
v² = v₀² + 2gd — velocity from distance

Example 1 — Ball thrown downward at 10 m/s from a 50m height

v₀ = 10 m/s (downward), d = 50 m, g = 9.807 m/s²
Use d = v₀t + ½gt²: 50 = 10t + ½(9.807)t² → 4.9035t² + 10t − 50 = 0
Quadratic: t = (−10 + √(100 + 4×4.9035×50)) / (2×4.9035) = (−10 + √1080.7) / 9.807 = (−10 + 32.87) / 9.807 = 2.33 s
Final velocity: v = 10 + 9.807 × 2.33 = 32.85 m/s = 73.5 mph

Example 2 — Ball thrown upward at 15 m/s

v₀ = −15 m/s (upward), sign convention: down = positive
Time to peak: t_peak = v₀/g = 15/9.807 = 1.53 s
Max height: h = v₀²/(2g) = 225/(2×9.807) = 11.47 m
Time to fall back to start: same 1.53 s (symmetric)
Total air time: 2 × 1.53 = 3.06 s

Free Fall on Other Planets

Gravitational acceleration g varies dramatically by planet. The same 10-meter drop takes 1.43s on Earth but 3.51s on the Moon (2.5× slower) and only 0.90s on Jupiter (1.6× faster). The free fall equation d = ½gt² shows that fall time scales as 1/√g.

Body	g (m/s²)	Fall 10m — time	Fall 10m — velocity	vs Earth
Earth	9.807	1.43 s	14.0 m/s (50.4 km/h)	—
Moon	1.62	3.51 s	5.7 m/s (20.5 km/h)	2.5× slower
Mars	3.721	2.32 s	8.6 m/s (31.0 km/h)	1.6× slower
Jupiter	24.79	0.90 s	22.3 m/s (80.2 km/h)	1.6× faster
Sun	274.0	0.27 s	74.1 m/s (266.7 km/h)	5.3× faster

Common Mistakes in Free Fall Calculations

Mistake 1 — Forgetting the ½ in d = ½gt²

❌ Wrong: d = g × t² = 9.807 × 9 = 88.26 m (for 3s fall)
✅ Correct: d = ½ × g × t² = ½ × 9.807 × 9 = 44.13 m
Omitting the ½ gives exactly double the correct distance.

Mistake 2 — Applying Power Rule to 1/x (wrong example — not this page)

❌ Wrong: Using d = gt² instead of d = ½gt²
✅ Correct: d = ½ × g × t² — the kinematic equation from integration of v = gt

Mistake 3 — Using g = 10 instead of 9.807

g = 10 m/s² is an approximation giving ~2% error. Use g = 9.807 m/s² (exact SI) for accurate answers.
Error example: 3s fall → d = ½×10×9 = 45 m (wrong) vs ½×9.807×9 = 44.13 m (correct)

Mistake 4 — Ignoring Air Resistance for Long Falls

The free fall equations v = gt and d = ½gt² only apply in a vacuum (or for very short, slow falls).
For falls over ~100m, air resistance becomes significant and objects approach terminal velocity.
The 1,000-foot free fall table shows 173 mph — but a real person caps at ~125 mph (terminal velocity).

Mistake 5 — Unit Confusion (feet vs meters)

❌ Wrong: Treating 100 feet as 100 meters in t = √(2d/g)
✅ Correct: Convert first — 100 ft × 0.3048 = 30.48 m, then t = √(2×30.48/9.807) = 2.49 s
Using 100 instead of 30.48 gives t = 4.51 s — nearly double the correct answer.

Worked Examples — 8 Complete Problems

1. How far does an object fall in 3 seconds?

d = ½ × g × t² = ½ × 9.807 × 9 = 44.13 m = 144.8 ft
v = g × t = 9.807 × 3 = 29.4 m/s = 65.8 mph

2. How fast after falling 100 feet?

100 ft = 30.48 m
v = √(2 × 9.807 × 30.48) = √597.9 = 24.45 m/s = 54.7 mph
t = 24.45 / 9.807 = 2.49 s

3. How long to fall 1,000 feet?

1,000 ft = 304.8 m
t = √(2 × 304.8 / 9.807) = √62.17 = 7.89 s
v = 9.807 × 7.89 = 77.4 m/s = 173 mph

4. Terminal velocity of a skydiver (spread eagle)

m = 80 kg, Cd = 1.0, A = 0.70 m², ρ = 1.225 kg/m³, g = 9.807 m/s²
v_t = √(2 × 80 × 9.807 / (1.225 × 1.0 × 0.70)) = √(1569.1 / 0.8575) = √(1829.8) = 42.78 m/s = 154 km/h = 95.8 mph
Verify: F_drag = ½ × 1.225 × 42.78² × 1.0 × 0.70 = 784.5 N; F_gravity = 80 × 9.807 = 784.6 N ✓

5. Free fall on the Moon from 10m

g_moon = 1.62 m/s²
t_moon = √(2×10/1.62) = √12.35 = 3.51 s (vs Earth: 1.43 s)
v_moon = √(2×1.62×10) = √32.4 = 5.69 m/s = 20.5 km/h (vs Earth: 14.0 m/s)

6. How far do you fall in 6 seconds?

d = ½ × 9.807 × 36 = 176.5 m = 579 ft
v = 9.807 × 6 = 58.8 m/s = 211.7 km/h = 131.6 mph

7. Object thrown downward at 10 m/s from 50m height — time to ground

50 = 10t + ½(9.807)t² → 4.9035t² + 10t − 50 = 0
t = (−10 + √(100 + 980.7)) / 9.807 = (−10 + √1080.7) / 9.807 = 22.87 / 9.807 = 2.33 s
v = 10 + 9.807 × 2.33 = 32.85 m/s = 73.5 mph

8. At what height does a falling object reach 60 mph (26.82 m/s)?

v = 60 mph = 60 × 0.44704 = 26.82 m/s
d = v²/(2g) = 26.82² / (2 × 9.807) = 719.3 / 19.614 = 36.7 m = 120.4 ft
t = v/g = 26.82 / 9.807 = 2.74 s

Frequently Asked Questions — Free Fall Calculator

What is free fall?

Free fall is motion under gravity alone with no air resistance. On Earth, every object accelerates at g = 9.807 m/s² — speed increases by 9.807 m/s (≈22 mph) every second. The free fall equations are v = g×t, d = ½×g×t², and v² = 2×g×d. True free fall only occurs in vacuum; in air, drag limits speed to terminal velocity.

What are the free fall equations?

The three free fall equations (from rest, v₀=0): (1) v = g×t — velocity after time t. (2) d = ½×g×t² — distance fallen in time t. (3) v² = 2×g×d — velocity after falling distance d. Rearranged forms: t = √(2d/g) gives time from distance; t = v/g gives time from velocity; d = v²/(2g) gives distance from velocity.

How fast does a falling object go? How many feet per second?

In free fall, speed increases by 9.807 m/s (32.2 ft/s, ≈22 mph) every second. After 1s: 9.8 m/s = 32.2 ft/s. After 2s: 19.6 m/s = 64.4 ft/s. After 3s: 29.4 m/s = 96.5 ft/s. After 5s: 49.0 m/s = 160.9 ft/s. Real objects are slowed by air resistance and reach a maximum terminal velocity.

Does mass affect how fast things fall in free fall?

In true free fall (vacuum), mass does NOT affect fall speed — all objects accelerate at the same g = 9.807 m/s². This was proved by Galileo and confirmed by Apollo 15 astronauts dropping a hammer and feather on the Moon. In air, mass DOES affect terminal velocity — heavier objects reach higher terminal speeds because more gravity is needed to balance drag.

What is terminal velocity?

Terminal velocity is the constant maximum speed reached when air drag equals gravitational force and net acceleration becomes zero. Formula: v_t = √(2mg / (ρ×Cd×A)). A skydiver spread-eagle reaches ~42–55 m/s (95–125 mph). Head-down position: ~75 m/s (167 mph). With open parachute: ~6 m/s (13 mph) — safe landing speed.

How long does it take to fall 1,000 feet?

Falling 1,000 feet (304.8 m) takes 7.89 seconds in free fall (no air resistance), reaching 77.4 m/s = 173.4 mph = 278.9 km/h. Calculation: t = √(2 × 304.8 / 9.807) = √62.17 = 7.89 s. Real skydivers would reach terminal velocity (~125 mph) before this speed.

How fast do you fall per second in free fall?

In free fall on Earth, you gain 9.807 m/s (32.2 ft/s ≈ 22 mph) of speed every second. The distance fallen follows d = ½×g×t² — so 4.9m in the first second, 19.6m after 2 seconds, 44.1m after 3 seconds. Distances grow as the square of time because speed is always increasing.

What is the difference between free fall and terminal velocity?

Free fall assumes no air resistance — velocity increases indefinitely using v = g×t. Terminal velocity is the real-world maximum where drag equals gravity and acceleration stops. In air, objects never truly free fall for more than a few seconds — they always experience drag and asymptotically approach terminal velocity rather than the unlimited speed that the free fall equation would predict.

Related Calculators

Free Fall Equations

v = g × tVelocity from time

d = ½ × g × t²Distance from time

v² = 2 × g × dVelocity from distance

t = √(2d / g)Time from distance

t = v / gTime from velocity

d = v² / (2g)Distance from velocity

v_t = √(2mg/ρCdA)Terminal velocity

g = 9.807 m/s² (Earth)Standard gravity

Common Scenarios

100 ft fall → 2.49 s, 54.8 mph

1000 ft fall → 7.89 s, 173 mph

3000 ft fall → 13.67 s, 300 mph

3 second fall → 44.1 m, 65.8 mph

6 second fall → 176.5 m, 131 mph

10 second fall → 490.3 m, 218 mph

1 storey (3m) → 0.78 s

30,000 ft → 43.21 s, 949 mph

Gravity Values

Earth: g = 9.807 m/s²Standard gravity

Moon: g = 1.62 m/s²6× slower falls

Mars: g = 3.721 m/s²2.6× slower

Jupiter: g = 24.79 m/s²2.5× faster

Sun: g = 274.0 m/s²28× faster

Related Tools

Free Fall Calculator — Distance, Time, Velocity & Terminal Velocity

Free Fall Calculator

Table A — Free Fall Equations (v₀ = 0)

Table B — Gravity on Other Bodies

Table C — Drag Coefficients (Cd)

Key Formulas

Free Fall Calculator — v=gt, d=½gt², v²=2gd

Free Fall Equations — v=gt, d=½gt², v²=2gd

How to Calculate Free Fall — Step-by-Step

Example 1 — 3-Second Free Fall: How far does an object fall in 3 seconds?

Example 2 — How fast after falling 100 feet?

Example 3 — How long to fall 1,000 feet? (A common search query)

Example 4 — How far do you fall in 6 seconds?

How Fast Does Something Fall? — Speed at Common Heights

Terminal Velocity — When Air Resistance Stops Acceleration

Free Fall with Initial Velocity — Thrown Objects

Example 1 — Ball thrown downward at 10 m/s from a 50m height

Example 2 — Ball thrown upward at 15 m/s

Free Fall on Other Planets

Common Mistakes in Free Fall Calculations

Mistake 1 — Forgetting the ½ in d = ½gt²

Mistake 2 — Applying Power Rule to 1/x (wrong example — not this page)

Mistake 3 — Using g = 10 instead of 9.807

Mistake 4 — Ignoring Air Resistance for Long Falls

Mistake 5 — Unit Confusion (feet vs meters)

Worked Examples — 8 Complete Problems

1. How far does an object fall in 3 seconds?

2. How fast after falling 100 feet?

3. How long to fall 1,000 feet?

4. Terminal velocity of a skydiver (spread eagle)

5. Free fall on the Moon from 10m

6. How far do you fall in 6 seconds?

7. Object thrown downward at 10 m/s from 50m height — time to ground

8. At what height does a falling object reach 60 mph (26.82 m/s)?

Frequently Asked Questions — Free Fall Calculator

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Free Fall Calculator — Distance, Time, Velocity & Terminal Velocity

Free Fall Calculator

Table A — Free Fall Equations (v₀ = 0)

Table B — Gravity on Other Bodies

Table C — Drag Coefficients (Cd)

Key Formulas

Free Fall Calculator — v=gt, d=½gt², v²=2gd

Free Fall Equations — v=gt, d=½gt², v²=2gd

How to Calculate Free Fall — Step-by-Step

Example 1 — 3-Second Free Fall: How far does an object fall in 3 seconds?

Example 2 — How fast after falling 100 feet?

Example 3 — How long to fall 1,000 feet? (A common search query)

Example 4 — How far do you fall in 6 seconds?

How Fast Does Something Fall? — Speed at Common Heights

Terminal Velocity — When Air Resistance Stops Acceleration

Free Fall with Initial Velocity — Thrown Objects

Example 1 — Ball thrown downward at 10 m/s from a 50m height

Example 2 — Ball thrown upward at 15 m/s

Free Fall on Other Planets

Common Mistakes in Free Fall Calculations

Mistake 1 — Forgetting the ½ in d = ½gt²

Mistake 2 — Applying Power Rule to 1/x (wrong example — not this page)

Mistake 3 — Using g = 10 instead of 9.807

Mistake 4 — Ignoring Air Resistance for Long Falls

Mistake 5 — Unit Confusion (feet vs meters)

Worked Examples — 8 Complete Problems

1. How far does an object fall in 3 seconds?

2. How fast after falling 100 feet?

3. How long to fall 1,000 feet?

4. Terminal velocity of a skydiver (spread eagle)

5. Free fall on the Moon from 10m

6. How far do you fall in 6 seconds?

7. Object thrown downward at 10 m/s from 50m height — time to ground

8. At what height does a falling object reach 60 mph (26.82 m/s)?

Frequently Asked Questions — Free Fall Calculator

Related Calculators

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