Teaching Free-falling Motion with LibreOffice Calc

The aim of this work is to demonstrate how to use LibreOffice Calc, a freeware spreadsheet, to teach physics of free-falling motion. Although free-falling motion is experienced in our daily lives, students often misunderstand the calculations, mainly because of the use of signs for related physical parameters. For example, the velocity can be positive, negative, or even zero, depending on the direction of motion. To help
students learn, we have used the embedded VLOOKUP function in LibreOffice to create a simulation of the object’s trajectory. We have found that the software can be used to create snapshots of consecutive vertical motions of the object. The direction of the object’s movement can be determined using the IF function. Moreover, the software can be used to solve equations that are often found in problems in this class.
By using the Goal Seek function, the numerical value of the parameter of interest can be obtained.