Animated version of Newton's famous drawing dealing the free fall of a body. Free fall and the launching of an object into orbit are both governed by the same theory of gravity.
The '+' and '-' buttons enable you to observe different cases, from free fall (initial velocity zero) to escape velocity (11.3 km/s starting from the ground).
Frictional effects are neglected and only the force due to gravity is acting.
Click on 'Plus' or 'Minus' to set the initial speed of the cannon ball.