Why do objects accelerate when falling under gravity?

Objects accelerate when falling under gravity because the force of gravity pulls them towards the centre of the Earth.

Gravity is a force that attracts two objects towards each other. In the case of an object falling towards the Earth, the Earth's mass is so much greater than the object's mass that the object is pulled towards the Earth's centre. This force of attraction is what we call gravity.

When an object is dropped from a height, it starts from rest and begins to move downwards. As it falls, the force of gravity continues to act on it, causing it to speed up. This increase in speed over time is what we refer to as acceleration.

The acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 metres per second squared (m/s²) near the Earth's surface. This means that for each second an object falls, its speed increases by about 9.8 m/s. This is true regardless of the object's mass. Whether you drop a feather or a hammer, in the absence of air resistance, they would both accelerate towards the Earth at the same rate.

However, in real life, air resistance can have a significant effect on falling objects, especially those that are light or have a large surface area. This is why a feather falls more slowly than a hammer in our everyday experience. But if you were to conduct the same experiment on the Moon, where there is no air, the feather and the hammer would fall at the same rate.

In conclusion, objects accelerate when falling under gravity because they are being pulled towards the Earth by the force of gravity. This force causes them to increase their speed as they fall, resulting in acceleration.