The effect of initial vertical position on velocity at which an object strikes the ground

This experiment investigates the relationship between an object’s initial vertical position and the velocity at which it strikes the ground when undergoing free fall due to gravity. For simplicity, drag was ignored. This assumption is reasonable for the cricket ball, for which drag is small compared to its weight, but may be less valid for the ping pong ball, where drag may be comparable to the gravitational force. Ping pong and cricket balls were dropped from varying heights in order to test the validity of the equation vf = sqrt(2gh). The duration of each fall was recorded to aid in calculating experimental velocities. Results supported the theoretical relationship proposed by the equation, indicating that as height increased, final velocity increased in proportion to the square root of the height, consistent with the form of vf = sqrt(2gh).