Question

When air resistance is neglected, all falling objects near the Earth's surface will accelerate:

a. At the same rate
b. At different times based on initial velocity
c. At different times based on mass
d. None of the above

Answer 1

Without air resistance, all objects near Earth's surface accelerate at the same rate of approximately 9.80 m/s², regardless of their mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

When air resistance is neglected, all falling objects near the Earth's surface will accelerate at the same rate. This is a principle in physics that applies when air resistance, which can affect the rate of fall based on shape and surface area, is not a factor. In the absence of air resistance, the acceleration due to gravity (g) is uniform for all objects, regardless of their mass, and is approximately 9.80 m/s².

Objects fall faster or slower primarily due to air resistance; it acts in the direction opposite to the motion of the object and exerts more force on objects with more surface area. However, when we talk about objects in free fall without air resistance, they all fall with the same acceleration due to gravity.