Which one of the following statements for an object falling freely under the influence of gravity is correct ?

An object in free fall is defined as one moving solely under the influence of gravity. For such objects near the Earth's surface, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is constant, approximately 9.8 m/s² [2]. This constant acceleration applies regardless of the object's instantaneous velocity. For instance, when an object is thrown upward, its velocity decreases until it stops momentarily at the peak; however, even at this point of zero velocity, the acceleration remains constant at g because gravity continues to act on it [2]. Therefore, zero velocity does not imply zero acceleration. Conversely, zero acceleration would imply a constant velocity (Newton's First Law), but this state does not occur during free fall where gravity is the only acting force [1]. Thus, the only correct statement is that acceleration remains constant throughout the motion.

Sources

1. [2] https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/VirtualAero/BottleRocket/airplane/mofall508.html
2. [1] https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/motion-of-free-falling-object/