Question

an astronaut drops a hammer and an egg while standing on the surface of the moon. which one will the surface first?

Answer 1

They both reach at the same time.

Step-by-step explanation:

Let the time taken by the hammer and egg be T and t respectively.

initial velocity, u = 0 for both

Distance traveled, h = h for both

acceleration due to gravity = g for both

By using second equation of motion,

S = ut + 0.5 at^2

For hammer

h = 0 + 0.5 x g x T^2 .... (1)

For egg

h = 0 + 0.5 x g x t^2 ....(2)

By observing equation (1) and equation (2), the time taken by the hammer and the egg is same.

They both reach at the same time.

Answer 2

The two will fall at the same speed and reach the surface at the same time. This is because the two will experience the same gravitational acceleration on the moon. However, on the earth surface the two will land on the surface of the earth at the same time due to air resistance such that the egg will experience a higher air resistance than the hammer. On, the moon, where there is no noticeable atmosphere there is no air resistance on either object and both fall at the same speed. It is also important to note that their mass doesn't affect their speed.