* A feather falling slowly through the air: Air resistance significantly affects the feather, slowing its descent and preventing it from reaching terminal velocity.
* A skydiver with an open parachute: The parachute creates massive air resistance, slowing the skydiver's descent.
* A rocket ascending into space: While the rocket is being propelled by its engines, it's not in free fall. Only after the engines cut off and the rocket is solely under the influence of gravity is it in free fall.
* A ball rolling down a hill: The ball is subject to both gravity and the forces of friction and the slope of the hill, preventing it from being in free fall.
Important Note: Free fall is defined as the motion of an object solely under the influence of gravity. It's often idealized in physics problems, but in the real world, air resistance usually plays a role, especially for objects with large surface areas or low mass.
