Here's a breakdown of the key elements:
* Acceleration: It's the rate of change of velocity over time. In the case of gravity, it means how fast an object's speed increases as it falls.
* Gravity: The force of attraction between any two objects with mass. The Earth has a large mass, so it exerts a strong gravitational pull on objects near its surface.
Here's a more formal definition:
Acceleration due to gravity is the constant acceleration experienced by an object falling freely under the influence of Earth's gravitational force, ignoring air resistance.
Key points:
* Constant: The value of 'g' is approximately 9.8 m/s² near the Earth's surface. This means that for every second an object falls, its speed increases by 9.8 meters per second.
* Near the Earth's surface: 'g' varies slightly depending on altitude and latitude.
* Free fall: It refers to the motion of an object solely under the influence of gravity, with no other forces acting on it.
In summary: Acceleration due to gravity is the constant rate at which objects fall towards the Earth because of its gravitational pull.