Question

Consider a watermelon that starts from rest and drops straight down from a tall building. Air resistance can be ignored. Which statement about the watermelon's motion is FALSE?

a) The watermelon accelerates downward due to gravity.
b) The watermelon falls at a constant velocity.
c) The watermelon's speed increases as it falls.
d) The watermelon experiences a constant acceleration.

Answer 1

The false statement about the watermelon's motion is that it falls at a constant velocity; in reality, it accelerates due to gravity at approximately 9.80 m/s², which increases its speed as it falls.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement about the watermelon's motion that is FALSE is: (b) The watermelon falls at a constant velocity. When a watermelon falls from a tall building and air resistance is ignored, it is said to be in free-fall, which means it experiences a constant acceleration due to gravity, causing it to gain speed as it descends. Since air resistance is negligible in this situation, we don't consider it in our calculations, and thus, the only force acting on the watermelon is gravity. Therefore, the watermelon's speed increases the longer it falls, and it does not move at a constant velocity. The acceleration due to gravity, g, is approximately 9.80 m/s² and remains the same throughout the fall, confirming that statements (a), (c), and (d) are true and only (b) is false.