Putoamisliikkeessä

Putoamisliikkeessä, which translates to "in free fall" or "falling" in English, refers to a state where an object is subject only to the force of gravity. This means that air resistance, or drag, is negligible or absent. In a vacuum, all objects, regardless of their mass or composition, would experience the same acceleration in a gravitational field, a principle famously observed and explained by Galileo Galilei. The acceleration due to gravity near the Earth's surface is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared.

The concept of putoamisliikkeessä is fundamental in classical mechanics. When an object is in free fall, its velocity increases at a constant rate. For example, if an object is dropped from rest, its speed will be approximately 9.8 m/s after one second, 19.6 m/s after two seconds, and so on. This idealized motion is often used as a starting point for more complex physics problems.

In reality, air resistance plays a significant role, especially for objects with large surface areas or low densities. As an object falls through the atmosphere, it encounters drag, which opposes its motion. This drag force increases with velocity. Eventually, the drag force can become equal in magnitude to the gravitational force, at which point the object stops accelerating and reaches a constant velocity known as terminal velocity. Therefore, true putoamisliikkeessä, without any opposing forces, is a theoretical construct best approximated in a vacuum or at very high altitudes where air density is minimal.