which of the following must occur for an object to be in free fall?

Question

Gravity is one of several forces acting on the object, and the object is pulled sideways along Earth's surface.

Gravity is the only force acting on the object, and the object is pulled downward to Earth's center.

Gravity is one of several forces acting on the object, and the object is pulled downward to Earth's center.

Gravity is the only force acting on the object, and the object is pulled sideways along Earth's surface.

Answer 1

For an object to be in free fall, the condition that must occur is:

Gravity is the only force acting on the object, and the object is pulled downward to Earth's center.

In free fall, the only force acting upon the object is the force of gravity, and the object experiences acceleration due to gravity without any other forces acting on it (like air resistance).