Vertical, Projectile Free Fall
Purpose
Demonstrates that horizontal and vertical motion are independent. One ball is launched horizontally while an identical ball is dropped simultaneously — both hit the ground at the same time, showing that horizontal velocity does not affect the rate of fall.
Figure 1:
The free fall apparatus: pulling the trigger simultaneously launches one ball horizontally and drops the other vertically. Both balls start at the same height.
Demo Apparatus
- 1