Free fall and skydiving are terms often used interchangeably, but they refer to different concepts in the realm of falling through the air.
Free fall specifically describes the motion of an object falling under the influence of gravity alone, without any air resistance. When an object is in free fall, it accelerates downwards at a constant rate due to gravity, approximately 9.81 m/s². This can be applied to any object falling straight down, such as a ball dropped from a height.
On the other hand, skydiving refers to the activity of jumping from an aircraft and experiencing free fall for a period of time before deploying a parachute to slow the descent and land safely. While the initial phase of skydiving is indeed free fall, the term encompasses the entire experience, including the jump, the free fall itself, and the parachute descent.
In summary, while free fall is a physical phenomenon that occurs when an object falls under gravity alone, skydiving is an adventurous activity that includes free fall as part of the experience but also involves parachute deployment and landing.