Question

In an experiment, two baseballs are dropped from the top of a tall building. When the first baseball is dropped, a timer is started. After 1.0 second, the second baseball is dropped. Assuming air resistance can be neglected, which of the following will be true?

A) The difference in velocity between the two baseballs decreases as they fall.
B) The difference in velocity between the two baseballs remains constant as they fall.
C) The distance between the baseballs decreases as they fall.
D) The distance between the baseballs stays constant as they fall.

Answer 1

The distance between the baseballs increases while the difference in velocity remains constant as they fall, due to the same acceleration acting on both balls.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the experiment mentioned, where two baseballs are dropped from a tall building with one baseball dropped 1.0 second after the first, the correct answer is that the distance between the baseballs increases as they fall. This occurs because both baseballs are accelerating due to gravity at the same rate (approximately 9.81 m/s2), but the second baseball starts falling later. So, while the first baseball is already picking up speed and moving away, the second baseball has to cover the same distance starting from rest a second later and thus has to catch up.

As a consequence, the difference in velocity between the two baseballs remains constant, because after the second baseball is dropped, both are subjected to the same acceleration without air resistance to differentiate their motions. This implies answer B is correct, and answers A, C, and D are incorrect for the situation assuming no air resistance.