Final answer:
In a vacuum, both a bowling pin and a ping pong ball dropped from the same height at the same time will hit the ground at the same time due to the principle of Galilean invariance.
Step-by-step explanation:
If dropped from the same height at the same time and ignoring air resistance, will a bowling pin or a ping pong ball hit the ground first? According to the principles of physics, specifically, an aspect called Galilean invariance or the equivalence principle, both objects will hit the ground at the same time. This principle states that in a vacuum, where air resistance is nonexistent, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass. Therefore, the correct answer would be C) Both will hit the ground at the same time.
This phenomenon can be observed in various experiments. For example, if we compare the drop of two crumpled paper balls of different masses, or a crumpled paper ball with an uncrumpled sheet of paper, they will fall at different rates due to air resistance. However, when conducting a similar experiment with objects like a marble, a ball, and a spoon, or with a basketball and a tennis ball, we observe that without the influence of air resistance, they would fall at the same rate.
In conclusion, whether it's a bowling pin or a ping pong ball, if both are dropped from the same height at the same time in a vacuum, they will indeed hit the ground simultaneously.