Question

An object was dropped from the plane with 1000 km above the ground with a mass of 300 kg. Find the acceleration of the object each second until it reaches the ground.

Answer 1

`9.8m/s^2`

Step-by-step explanation:

The acceleration due to gravity on earth is
`9.8m/s^2` regardless of the mass of the object. This means, in the absence of air resistance, both a 3000 kg object and a 300 kg will accelerate at the same rate of
`9.8m/s^2` towards earth.

The reason the acceleration due to gravity is the same for all masses is that by grace of nature, the inertial mass
`m` of the object from
`F= ma` equals the gravitational mass
`m` from
`F =G (mM)/(R^2)`, resulting

`ma=G(mM)/(R^2)`

`\boxed{a=G(M)/(R^2)}`

which is the acceleration that only depends on the mass of earth and its radius, and not on the mass of the object.