Question

Two marbles roll simultaneous off either side of a table. Both marbles leave the edge of the table at the same time, but with different velocities. Which marble hits the ground first?

A) The one with higher velocity
B) The one with lower velocity
C) Both hit at the same time
D) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

Both marbles will hit the ground at the same time because the horizontal velocity does not affect the time it takes for an object to fall to the ground when only gravity is acting on it.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the concept of free fall in physics, particularly the behavior of objects subject to gravity when other forces (like air resistance) are negligible. When two marbles roll off a table at the same time but with different horizontal velocities, they both experience the same vertical acceleration due to gravity. This is assuming that air resistance is negligible or equal for both marbles, which is a common approximation in physics problems. Since the horizontal velocity does not influence the time it takes for an object to fall to the ground in this idealized scenario, both marbles will hit the ground at the same time. Therefore, the correct answer is C) Both hit at the same time.