How do I calculate estimates for acceleration due to gravity?

Question

This is if I drop a variety of objects.
Also, why are they not all the same?

Answer 1

The force of gravity for objects relatively close to Earth equals the mass of the object times the acceleration due to gravity. From this simple equation, we can determine what happens when an object is dropped from a height.
F=m*g
This does not take into account air resistance. For instance, a feather is buoyed up by the air and falls more slowly than a steel ball.

Answer 2

Acceleration in theory should be indepenadant of mass. However, drag is different between objects so large objects would have greater air resistance slowing it down.

To be able to time it without the error of human time delay being too great, you really need to drop things from quite a large height. Newton dropped hammers of the Leaning Tower if Pisa - but be careful as dropping things of towerblocks is dangerous!

Using equation

s=ut + 0.5at²
s=distance, u=inital speed, a = acceleration and t=time
If you drop from stationary then u =0 so:

s=0.5at²

a = 2s/t²

a = gravity can be worked out by dropping an object from a height s and measuring the time t

Answer 3

The acceleration due to gravity is same, approx 10 meters per second. If you drop a variety of objects, the velocity depends on the size, shape and density of the object. A feather for example will descend slowly, and a piece of rock or iron will descend faster. The difference is not due to different accelerations of gravity but due to changes in buoyancy. For example, a piece of iron will sink in water but if the same piece is shaped into a ship, it will float, beause the weight of water displaced is much more than its weight.

In general, cotton, paper, feather and similar light weight objects (of lesser density) will take more time due to their larger volume/weight ratio and denser objects like stone, metals etc. will drop faster due to the absence of buoyancy.

Answer 4

m