If there are no external forces (such as air resistance), both rocks fall at the same rate. The force of gravity is proportional to the mass but the acceleration due to gravity is constant (for all practical purposes).
When an object has a relatively low mass compared to its surface area (for example, a feather or a leaf compared to the same weight of lead), air resistance becomes a significant factor. Since a 1kg rock has a greater surface area in proportion to its mass than a 2kg rock, in a fluid, such as air or water, the heavier rock will fall faster.
2006-09-19 20:26:32
·
answer #1
·
answered by Owlwings 7
·
3⤊
1⤋
No, twenty ppl will tell you that the "force" is the same and they will be WRONG.
EXCLUDING FRICTIONAL FORCES:
THE NET FORCE on both rocks is the same. Gravity pulls twice as hard on the 2 kg rock as the 1 kg rock. But because it take exactly twice the force to overcome the inertia and get it moving, the sum of forces on the two rocks is the same, therefore they fall at the same rate.
F=mg AND F=ma these are the same equation essentially, but the first one points out that we aren't talking about just any acceleration, we are talking about gravity. In the second, think of the "a" as having a subscript "of the rock". The mass is doubled in each one, so its effect cancels.
Any observation of denser objects moving through the air faster than less dense objects is due to the lower ratio of air resistance (a frictonal force) to gravitational pull and retards the advancement of less dense objects in the air relative to the denser objects.
Regarding the inertial force, think about a baseball which was the same size as any other, but weighed twice as much. It would take twice as much effort to accelerate such a ball horizontally, where gravity would not be felt. When accelerating a falling rock gravity must put twice the effort into a rock that weighs twice as much.
G Whilikers sums it up very nicely in another post, below.
2006-09-19 20:35:06
·
answer #2
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
Heavier rock may fall faster because the gravity is not the only force acting on it. There is also the force form viscous drag of air, and the boyant force. It is the sum of all the forces that determine the acceleration of an object. Rocks probably fall about the same (or close enough in how fast), but if you think 1 kg rock compared to 1 kg of feathers - rock will definitely fall faster.
2006-09-19 20:31:14
·
answer #3
·
answered by Snowflake 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
from F=G*m1*m2 / r^2 you understand that the 2kg rock will experience twice the gravity. g though the acceleration is constant since accelaration depends on mass as well (not only force). in ideal wordl of physics they will fall in the same time.
for a better explanation (not only the relation of force and mass and what the accelaration becomes) take a look of an interesting example that explain so many things.
if the rocks were lifted at the same height and then at the same time we left them to fall what would have happened?
all the potential energy would tranform in kinetic energy at the moment of oimapct ot the graound (maximum U maximum kinetick energy)
So,
m * g*h = 1/2 m u^2 =>
u= sqrt (2* g* h) isn;t this something. the velocity has nothing to do with mass..........so the velocity is the same the height is the same so they will reach the ground the same time.
2006-09-19 20:37:57
·
answer #4
·
answered by Emmanuel P 3
·
0⤊
0⤋
The force of gravity on the 2kg rock is twice as much as the force on a 1kg rock. But according to Newtons second law, the acceleration of the rock is a = f/m; The force (f) is twice as great, but so is the mass (m) twice as great, so the result is that the accelerations are the same.
2006-09-19 20:28:22
·
answer #5
·
answered by gp4rts 7
·
2⤊
0⤋
I assume you meant "Why then does NOT the heaver rock fall faster?"
You're confusing gravity, which is an acceleration, with a force, which is an object's mass times its acceleration. The acceleration of gravity is the same for both rocks, and is 9.8 meters/sec^2. In English, that means every second the velocity of the rocks will increase their velocity by 9.8 meters per second.
2006-09-19 20:59:54
·
answer #6
·
answered by Joe C 3
·
0⤊
0⤋
The heavier rock does not fall faster. If we neglect the air resistance, both the rocks have same ACCELERATION, that is, ACCELERATION due to GRAVITY.
As, F=ma;
when a is same, then F is proportional to m.
2006-09-19 20:33:49
·
answer #7
·
answered by An Indian guy 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
The rigidity of gravity on a 2 kg rock is two times as super as that on a one million kg rock. the two will fall on a similar value. (Heavy gadgets and easy-weight gadgets ought to fall the comparable way, because of the fact conservation rules are additive --- we stumble on the completed potential of an merchandise with the aid of including up the energies of all its atoms. If a single atom falls via a height of one meter, it loses a undeniable volume of gravitational potential and constructive factors a corresponding volume of kinetic potential. Kinetic potential pertains to velocity, so as that determines how briskly that's shifting on the tip of its one-meter drop. (the comparable reasoning must be utilized to any factor alongside the way between 0 meters and one.) Now what if we stick 2 atoms mutually? The pair has double the mass, so the quantity of gravitational potential switched over into kinetic potential is two times as lots. yet two times as lots kinetic potential is precisely what we want if the pair of atoms is to have the comparable velocity because of the fact the single atom did. persevering with this practice of thought, it is not appropriate how many atoms an merchandise includes; it could have the comparable velocity as the different merchandise after dropping interior the path of the comparable height.)
2016-10-15 05:05:24
·
answer #8
·
answered by valda 4
·
0⤊
0⤋
gravity is the product of mass and force and distance. Since heavier bodies have more mass, their gravity will gradually increase. Hence, heavier bodies fall faster, rather than lighter ones.
2006-09-20 01:31:22
·
answer #9
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
No.. is the same.
The weight is different!!! but the force is the same...
Because the heavier body avoid with facilite the weather conditions..I mean it have the capacity to move more fast trought the air than other body..
2006-09-19 20:50:10
·
answer #10
·
answered by Juan D 3
·
0⤊
0⤋