Question

Stan and Sandra are conducting some experiments on the moon. They drop a bowling ball and a tennis above the ground from the same height at the same time.

a. Which object will hit the ground first?
b. Stan says that what you observe is because the force of gravity is the same on all objects. Do you agree with him? SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER.
c. Sandra says that we should observe the same thing on earth, but it doesn't always happen, like when you drop a feather and hammer. What is it that makes objects fall differently on earth?

Answer 1

a. The bowling ball and the tennis ball will hit the ground at the same time because they are subject to the same gravitational force. b. The force of gravity is the same on all objects, as stated in the equivalence principle. c. Objects fall differently on Earth due to the presence of air resistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

a. The bowling ball and the tennis ball will hit the ground at the same time. This is because they are both subject to the same gravitational force. The force of gravity is the same on all objects, regardless of their mass or size. Therefore, they will both experience the same acceleration and fall at the same rate.

b. I agree with Stan that the force of gravity is the same on all objects. This principle is known as the equivalence principle, which states that the effects of gravity are indistinguishable from the effects of acceleration. Therefore, all objects, regardless of their mass, will experience the same acceleration due to gravity.

c. Objects can fall differently on Earth due to the presence of air resistance. When you drop a feather and a hammer, the feather has a larger surface area and is more affected by air resistance. The hammer, on the other hand, has a smaller surface area and experiences less air resistance. This is why the feather takes longer to fall compared to the hammer. In a vacuum, where there is no air resistance, all objects would fall at the same rate, just like on the moon.