FREE FALL


Meaning of FREE FALL in English

In mechanics, the state of a body that moves freely in any manner in the presence of gravity.

The planets are in free fall in the gravitational field of the Sun. A body in free fall follows an orbit such that the sum of gravitational and inertial forces equals zero. See also gravitation ; Newton's laws of motion .

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.