Final answer:
The leaf falls more slowly than the dime due to air resistance, which exerts a greater force on objects with a larger surface area. Observers, regardless of their position, will notice that the kinetic energy increases during the fall, the change in gravitational potential energy is consistent, and the final gravitational potential energy is zero at ground level. Air resistance is a key factor in the rate at which objects fall.
Step-by-step explanation:
The force that causes the leaf to fall more slowly than the dime is air resistance. Air resistance acts in the direction opposite to the motion of the falling object and exerts more force on objects with a greater surface area relative to their mass. Since a leaf has a larger surface area and is lighter than a dime, it experiences more air resistance, which slows down its fall compared to the dime which is denser and has less surface area.
When considering two observers watching the leaf fall, whether they are standing on a ladder or on the ground, they should find the following: (a) the kinetic energy of the leaf will increase as it falls, but the terminal velocity (and thus kinetic energy) may differ due to air resistance; (b) the change in gravitational potential energy will be the same for both observers since it only depends on the height from which the leaf falls and the mass of the leaf; (c) the final gravitational potential energy of the leaf at ground level will be the same for both observers, effectively zero, since it has reached the lowest point in the field.
In the crumpled paper and textbook experiment, we see that both objects fall at the same rate when the paper is crumpled into a ball, reducing its surface area, and thus the effect of air resistance. This illustrates that in the absence of air resistance, all objects would fall with the same acceleration due to gravity regardless of their mass.