Calculate the velocity of an object falling under gravity at any point during free fall.
Fall Parameters
Calculation Results
Enter parameters to calculate fall velocity
About this calculator
Quick Reference
vFinal velocity (m/s)
v₀Initial velocity (m/s)
g9.81 m/s² (Earth gravity)
tTime (seconds)
dd = v₀t + ½gt² (Distance)
Overview
Free fall velocity is calculated using v = v₀ + gt, where velocity increases linearly with time. For objects starting from rest, velocity increases by approximately 9.81 m/s every second. This continues until terminal velocity is reached due to air resistance.
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Pro Tips
Velocity increases linearly with time (constant acceleration).
Initial velocity (v₀) is zero for objects dropped from rest.
Final velocity tells you the speed just before impact.
In reality, air resistance limits velocity to terminal velocity (around 200 km/h for skydivers).
Velocity is a vector - downward velocity is positive in physics conventions.
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Fun Facts
"The fastest recorded skydive speed is 373.6 mph (601 km/h) by Felix Baumgartner."
"A penny dropped from the Empire State Building reaches only about 65 mph."
"Terminal velocity for a skydiver in spread-eagle position is around 120 mph."
"The world record for fastest skydive in a tracking position is 843.6 km/h."
"Velocity increases by 32 ft/s² (9.8 m/s²) every second near Earth's surface."
