When is an object that has been dropped from a great height through the air closest to vein in a free fall?
at it's terminal velocity < -- this one?
when it has it's smallest acceleration
when it's velocity downward is largest
when the velocity downward is smallest

-- "Free fall" means no forces acting on the object except for gravity.

-- An object dropped through air has two forces on it -- gravity and air resistance.

-- So we're looking for the part of the drop where air resistance is smallest.

-- The force of air resistance depends on the speed through the air, so the
force of air resistance is smallest when velocity downward is smallest.

Ais the

Inelastic is the answer your looking for.