The motion of a falling object when the only force acting on it is gravity.

• A. Projectile Motion
• B. Free Fall
• C. Range
• D. Contact Force

Answer: (B)

When only gravity acts on an object, it undergoes vertical motion with a constant downward acceleration g. This is the situation called free fall. In this case, if released from rest, the velocity grows downward as v = g t and the distance fallen is s = (1/2) g t^2, ignoring air resistance. The path is a straight downward line, not a curved projectile trajectory, and the idea of horizontal range doesn’t apply here. The term contact force refers to a force from touching a surface, which isn’t describing the motion in this scenario. So the motion described is best labeled free fall because gravity is the sole influence.