Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
The acceleration due to gravity is the rate at which an object falls towards the Earth under the influence of gravity. It is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s^2) near the surface of the Earth.
This term refers to the motion of an object falling under the sole influence of gravity, without any other forces acting upon it.
Terminal Velocity: This term refers to the maximum velocity that an object can reach when falling through a fluid, such as air or water, due to air resistance balancing out gravitational force.