Last Updated: October 20, 2025
Calculate free fall motion including air resistance effects instantly with our advanced physics and aerodynamics calculator to analyze realistic falling motion and predict terminal velocity for educational and professional applications.
Enter your free fall parameters including air resistance factors below to calculate fall time, distance, and velocity instantly.
Use the input fields to specify mass, drag coefficient, cross-sectional area, and air density for accurate calculations.
Typical values: Sphere (0.47), Cylinder (1.2), Flat plate (1.28)
Standard air density at sea level: 1.225 kg/m³
Enter values to see results
The Free Fall with Air Resistance Calculator is an advanced physics tool that calculates the motion of objects falling under gravity while accounting for air resistance (drag forces). This realistic approach to falling motion provides accurate predictions for real-world scenarios where air resistance significantly affects the motion.
Unlike ideal free fall, real falling objects experience drag forces that oppose their motion. As velocity increases, the drag force increases quadratically, eventually balancing the gravitational force at terminal velocity. This calculator accounts for these complex interactions.
Air resistance makes real falling motion different from ideal free fall, especially at high speeds.
Whether you're studying aerodynamics, analyzing skydiving physics, designing parachutes, or investigating realistic motion in physics, this calculator provides comprehensive analysis including terminal velocity, drag forces, and time-dependent acceleration.
F_drag = ½ρv²CdA
F_net = mg - F_drag
v_terminal = √(2mg/ρCdA)
Where ρ is air density, v is velocity, Cd is drag coefficient, A is cross-sectional area, m is mass, and g is gravitational acceleration.
Free fall with air resistance calculations involve solving differential equations that account for the velocity-dependent drag force. The drag force opposes motion and increases with the square of velocity, creating complex motion dynamics.
The calculator uses numerical methods to solve the equations of motion, providing accurate results for terminal velocity, fall time, and velocity profiles. It handles various object shapes through drag coefficients and accounts for different air densities.
Mass: Object mass affects terminal velocity and acceleration
Cross-sectional Area: Larger area increases drag force
Drag Coefficient: Shape-dependent factor (sphere: 0.47, cylinder: 1.2)
Air Density: Environmental factor affecting drag magnitude
Terminal Velocity: Maximum velocity when drag equals gravity
The calculator automatically handles unit conversions and provides step-by-step solutions. It can determine terminal velocity, fall time, and velocity profiles for various objects and conditions, making it valuable for educational and professional applications.
Given:
Step 1: Calculate terminal velocity
v_terminal = √(2mg/ρCdA)
v_terminal = √(2 × 70 × 9.81 / (1.225 × 1.0 × 0.7))
v_terminal = √(1373.4 / 0.8575)
v_terminal = √1601.6
v_terminal = 40.0 m/s (144 km/h)
Final Answer
Terminal Velocity: 40.0 m/s
Terminal Velocity: 144 km/h
Skydiver reaches terminal velocity of 40 m/s in free fall
Given:
Step 1: Calculate terminal velocity
v_terminal = √(2mg/ρCdA)
v_terminal = √(2 × 0.2 × 9.81 / (1.225 × 0.47 × 0.0034))
v_terminal = √(3.924 / 0.00196)
v_terminal = 44.7 m/s
Step 2: Calculate fall time (numerical integration)
Using numerical methods to solve the differential equation:
dv/dt = g - (ρCdAv²)/(2m)
For 100m fall: t ≈ 4.8 seconds
Final velocity: v ≈ 44.7 m/s (terminal velocity)
Final Answer
Fall Time: 4.8 seconds
Final Velocity: 44.7 m/s
Tennis ball reaches terminal velocity during 100m fall
🪂 Did you know? Terminal velocity for a skydiver is typically 50-60 m/s (180-216 km/h), but with a parachute open, it reduces to about 5-7 m/s (18-25 km/h)!
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