Final answer:
Objects fall at different rates in everyday life due to air resistance, which exerts more force on objects with greater surface area and causes them to fall slower than smaller or more streamlined objects, despite the same acceleration due to gravity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason some objects appear to fall faster than others near the surface of the Earth, even though all objects are subject to the same acceleration due to gravity of -9.81 m/s2, is predominantly because of air resistance. Air resistance acts in the direction opposite the motion of the object and is contingent upon the object’s shape, surface area, and speed. This resistance exerts more force on objects with greater surface area and less aerodynamic shapes, causing them to fall slower than objects with smaller surface areas and more streamlined shapes.
In the absence of air resistance and friction, all objects would fall with the same acceleration towards the Earth's center regardless of their mass, which is a principle that was uncovered by Galileo Galilei. However, in everyday life, the resistance of the air plays a significant role, particularly for objects with larger surface areas or those that have shapes that are not aerodynamic.