Question

My physics instructor said that this is not intuitive but a correct assumption to make. I cant figure out why this must be. Assume the objects are released at exactly the same time. They meet at the halfway point. Why do they necessarily have the same velocity? And does this apply if they don't meet halfway (equal distance)?

Assume air resistance is negligible.

Answer 1

The assumption is based on the fact that all objects fall towards the center of the Earth with the same constant acceleration, regardless of their mass. It does not necessarily apply if the objects don't meet halfway.

Step-by-step explanation:

The assumption that two objects, released at exactly the same time, will meet at the halfway point with the same velocity is based on the fact that in the absence of air resistance and friction, all objects fall towards the center of the Earth with the same constant acceleration, regardless of their mass.

This fact was experimentally determined by Galileo Galilei. The constant acceleration due to gravity means that the velocity of the objects will be the same when they meet at the halfway point.

The assumption is based on the fact that all objects fall towards the center of the Earth with the same constant acceleration, regardless of their mass. It does not necessarily apply if the objects don't meet halfway.

This assumption does not necessarily apply if the objects do not meet at the halfway point. In that case, their velocities will vary depending on their positions along the path. However, the principle of equal acceleration due to gravity still holds true, meaning that the objects will have the same acceleration throughout their motion.