Falling faster than g, exponentially

Abstract

Abstract Calculations are presented showing that the usual ‘faster than g’ demonstration has a surprising property. That is, a rod hinged at its bottom end rotates at an exponentially increasing rate until it falls with maximum vertical acceleration, unlike an object that falls freely by gravity alone. If the rod is hinged at its top end and released from a horizontal position, then the vertical acceleration is a maximum at the instant it is released.