This is just a puzzle offered just for the fun of it to solve.
Suppose that both an elephant and a feather fall from a high tree. Which encounters the greatest force of air resistance in falling to the ground?
a) The elephant
b) The feather
c) Both the same
2007-06-20 10:00:31 · 4 answers · asked by ? 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
air resistance has to do with the maximum area of perpendicular to the vector of motion and it also has to do with the speed of the object
in this case an elephant
nice Question
2007-06-20 10:04:36 · answer #1 · answered by mete 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The elephant, due to its area (size).
It will fall faster though, because of it mass RELATIVE to the force of the resistance generated by the air.
The feather has much less area, but it also has so little mass that the force of the resistance from the air can more effectively slow its fall.
2007-06-20 17:07:19 · answer #2 · answered by Philip H 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The elephant will fall faster even though there is greater air resistance to the elephant. It is the net acceleration of gravitational acceleration (down) and air Resistance (up).
2007-06-20 17:20:06 · answer #3 · answered by Sandy G 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the feather
2007-06-20 17:04:10 · answer #4 · answered by Malgorzata B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋