Western Mindanao State University
Normal Rd., Baliwasan, Zamboanga City
College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department
S.Y. 2025-2026
BES 122
DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES
MODULE 2
Engr. John Ray T. Miciano
Instructor
Learning Objectives
Formulate and solve numerical problems involving freely falling bodies in one dimension using the kinematic
equations for constant acceleration due to gravity, including determining displacement, velocity, and time of fall
under idealized conditions (neglecting air resistance).
I. Introduction
Free fall is a common kind of motion which everybody can observe in daily life. If we drop something
accidentally, we can see its motion. In the beginning, it will have low speed and until the end, it gains speed and
before the collision, it reaches its maximum speed. Many factors are there to affect the speed of the object while
it is in free fall.
In solving problems on a falling-bodies, a specified direction (up or down) is assumed to represent positive
displacement. Velocity and acceleration are positive when directed along positive displacement; they are
negative when pointing in the opposite direction.
It should be observed that a negative value of acceleration does not per se indicate a slowing down. We can only
say that a body is accelerating if tis velocity is increasing with time, and it is decelerating if its velocity is
decreasing with time. This is equivalent to stating that a body is speeding up if the directions of velocity and
acceleration are the same, and slowing down if velocity and acceleration are oppositely directed.
In any motion involving free falling bodies, the general equations of motion for constant acceleration may be
applied by replacing a by g. No restriction on the equations needs to be made other than that velocity and
acceleration are to be taken as positive in the direction of positive displacement.
Old Equation: New Equation:
𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 𝑎𝑡 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑜 + 𝑔𝑡
1 1
𝑠 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 2 𝑠 = 𝑣𝑜 𝑡 + 𝑔𝑡 2
2 2
𝑣𝑓2 = 𝑣𝑜2 + 2𝑎𝑠 𝑣𝑓2 = 𝑣𝑜2 + 2𝑔𝑠
Example Problems:
1. A stone is thrown vertically into the air from a tower 100 ft high at the same instant that a second stone
is thrown upward from the ground. The initial velocity of the first stone is 50 ft/sec and that of the
second stone is 75 ft/sec. When and where will the stones be at the same height from the ground?
2. A stone is dropped from the top of a building with an elevation of 1000 ft. Two seconds later another
stone is projected vertically upward from the ground with a velocity of 248 ft/sec. If g=32 ft/sec2, when
and where will stones pass each other?
Supplementary Problems
1. A stone is dropped from the top of a tall building and falls freely under gravity. Neglecting air resistance, how
long will it take for the stone to reach the ground if the height of the building is 45 m and the acceleration due to
gravity is 9.8 m/s2?
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