When a mass m is dropped from rest, how is its speed upon striking the ground related to its mass?

When a mass is dropped from rest, it accelerates towards the ground due to gravity. The acceleration experienced by the object is constant and equal to approximately 9.81 m/s², regardless of the mass of the object. This means that all objects, regardless of their mass, will fall at the same rate in a vacuum where there is no air resistance.

As the mass falls, its speed increases linearly with time due to this constant acceleration. The equation of motion that relates final speed (v), initial speed (u), acceleration (a), and time (t) can be expressed as:

v = u + at.

Since the object is dropped from rest, the initial speed (u) is zero. Therefore, the final speed just before hitting the ground becomes:

v = 0 + (9.81 m/s²) * t.

This indicates that the speed just before impact is determined solely by the time of fall and the constant acceleration due to gravity, and not by the mass of the object. Thus, the speed upon striking the ground is independent of the mass of the object. This principle is a fundamental concept in physics, highlighting that in the absence of air resistance or other forces, all objects accelerate the same way regardless