2006-09-18 08:04:44 · 21 answers · asked by Lindsey D 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
objects of different mass will drop at the same rate
2006-09-18 08:08:14 · answer #1 · answered by credo quia est absurdum 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Firstly the intuitive explanation. Take a marble in one hand and drop it to the floor. Good eh? Now pick up two marbles; one in each hand and drop them from the same height. They fall to the ground at the same time - agreed? Now put some sticky tape around the two marbles and drop these- and another marble (in your other hand). They all drop to the ground at the same time!
Why? Surely the marbles with sticky tape around them are heavier and they will be pulled to the ground with greater force? The force pulling the two marbles to the ground (their weight) is twice as much as that acting on one marble? Actually, half a tonne of marbles (or lead!) will drop to the ground at the same time (whether or not they are bound by sticky tape) as a single marble - surely that's not fair!
Something is cancelling out the effect of the greater force - which is the MASS. Two marbles have twice the force (weight) but twice the mass. This means they accelerate at the same rate and reach the ground at the same time. Force / mass = accelaration. 2 X marbles of weight (force) / 2 X mass = 1 (two divided by two =1) Same for three marbles (3 weight / 3 mass)= 1 as well. (three divided by three =1) No matter how many marbles you add together you still end up dividing by more mass which cancels it all out.
Mass is actually an object's reluctance to start moving which is often confused with its weight. If you don't belive me - imagaing we are in outer space floating next to the starship enterprise. We are in outer space so there is no gravity. Now - the enterprise is bigger than an earth battleship (completely weightless). Now take your shoes off and kick the side of the ship hard. Does it hurt? Yes - it didn't scoot off into outer space did it? It just made a thudding sound and you stubbed your toe. There's no weight - just mass! If there was no mass then it wouldn't hurt when you kicked the ship. The reluctance of the ship to move when you kicked it - and the reason it hurt so much was due to the million tonnes of MASS (not weight) it has.
Back to the marbles. Although there is more force pulling on the two marbles than the one. Or more force pulling on your tonne of lead than half tonne of lead - the fact that there is more mass (more reluctance of the object to get going ) means that the two effects just cancel each other out.
I ignored air resistance by the way. Oh - and on Vulcan where I weigh twice as much as on earth - The marbles still reach the ground at the same time - just takes half as long as it does on earth!
This is a great question - and illustrates the differnce between mass and weight really well.
Hope this helps
2006-09-19 15:31:25 · answer #2 · answered by Mr Spock 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
depends from what height. it is true that from a low height they will both hit at the same time (if the have the same shape and surface area). however if dropped from a large height then the tonne will land first as it can achieve the higher terminal velocity.
this is because a larger force is required to counter the acceleration (F=MA)
2006-09-20 15:51:56 · answer #3 · answered by narglar 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a trick question: they land at the same time since gravity is a constant and acts upon both boides with equal force.
Galileo showed this by dropping different objects form the tower of Piza, Italy. with different weights (different sized balls). The only variation is if you have an object that creates greater resistance or friction from the air than another.
2006-09-18 15:08:53 · answer #4 · answered by NW_iq_140 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wouldnt the 1 tonne land last?? it has a larger surface area and would be slowed by wind resistance?? either that or they would land at the same time.
2006-09-18 15:08:09 · answer #5 · answered by keatze 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If droppedf rom the same height at the same time - both would land at the same time IF we ignore the effect of air resistance. If we consider the effect of air resistance it wouls depend on the shape and surface area of the two bodies
2006-09-18 17:37:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both will lands at the same time because it does not depend upon the mass/ weight
2006-09-18 15:08:40 · answer #7 · answered by Amar Soni 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They will land at the same time.
2006-09-18 15:14:40 · answer #8 · answered by rg_412002 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not including friction or air resistance, and presuming they are both shaped the same then they will land at the same time as the speed of gravity is constant.
2006-09-18 15:15:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they both land at the same time
2006-09-18 15:12:46 · answer #10 · answered by jamz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they would land at the same time
2006-09-18 15:08:22 · answer #11 · answered by ? 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋