Final answer:
Both coins will have the same speed when they reach the bottom because they are subject to the same gravitational acceleration and start from the same height. The energy conservation principle dictates that all potential energy is converted to kinetic energy equally for both coins.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves a comparison of speeds of two coins in an experiment where the first coin is dropped vertically and the second slides down a frictionless track, both from the same height. According to the principles of physics, both coins are influenced by the same gravitational acceleration, and they will have traveled the same vertical distance by the time they reach the bottom. In the absence of other forces such as air resistance, which can be neglected in this scenario, both coins would reach the bottom with the same speed if they are released at the same time. This is due to the conservation of energy where all potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.
In the case of the frictionless track, all potential energy is converted into translational kinetic energy, resulting in the coin having the same speed when it reaches the bottom as it would if it were in free fall. This is clarified with the consideration of energy conservation and the fact that work done by friction, which could slow down an object, is not present on a frictionless track