Question

which of these dot diagrams best describe the motion of a free-falling object that is dropped from rest? tap to select or deselect an answer. diagram a diagram b diagram c

Explanation:

Step1: Recall free - fall motion

A free - falling object (dropped from rest) accelerates due to gravity. The velocity of a free - falling object increases with time, so the distance it travels in successive equal time intervals increases. In a dot - diagram representing the motion of a free - falling object, the dots should be spaced further and further apart as time progresses (since \(d=\frac{1}{2}gt^{2}\), where \(d\) is the distance fallen, \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \(t\) is time).

Step2: Analyze each diagram

• Diagram A: The dots are spaced further apart as we move to the right (assuming the right - hand direction represents the passage of time and the vertical direction represents the downward motion). This means that the object is covering more distance in each successive time interval, which is consistent with the increasing velocity of a free - falling object.
• Diagram B: The dots are evenly spaced. This would represent an object moving with a constant velocity (uniform motion), not a free - falling object which is accelerating.
• Diagram C: The dots are spaced closer together as we move to the right. This would represent an object slowing down, which is not the case for a free - falling object dropped from rest.

Answer:

Diagram A