What is the gain in speed per second for a freely falling object?

A free-falling object increases its speed by 9.81 meters per second each second. The force of gravity is the same for all objects; however, air resistance starts to become a factor as the speed increases.

Every object is affected by air resistance, and all objects eventually reach terminal velocity, which is the speed at which the force of gravity equals the upward force of air resistance. When this occurs, the object can no longer accelerate, so its speed remains constant. A flat piece of paper will fall slower than a wadded-up piece because of air resistance, not the weight or mass of the object.