Given three objects with same size and shape, but different masses, when dropped, would the heaviest fall the fastest? If so, would this mean that the acceleration due to gravity depends on mass? or could there be another factor involved? B. How long would it take the object to reach the floor if you dropped it from a height of 0.50m? Could you measure this accurately with a stopwatch? B1 What if an object were dropped from a height of 10m? Could you measure this distance accurately with a meter stick? Would he acceleration remain constant?

Question

Physics

Alfred Jensen

21 August, 13:15

Given three objects with same size and shape, but different masses, when dropped, would the heaviest fall the fastest? If so, would this mean that the acceleration due to gravity depends on mass? or could there be another factor involved? B. How long would it take the object to reach the floor if you dropped it from a height of 0.50m? Could you measure this accurately with a stopwatch? B1 What if an object were dropped from a height of 10m? Could you measure this distance accurately with a meter stick? Would he acceleration remain constant?

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Abel Herring · Answer 1

A. Three object of size and shape but with different masses

If the three object are dropped together

1. The heavier object will fall the fastest.

2. The heavier object will drop first because gravity will pull it down more than the others, gravity depends on mass from the formula below

F=GMm/r²

Let F be the weight of the object which is mg

Then, mg=GMm/r²

g=GM/r²

3. Their is no other factors other than the air resistance, because if we put objects in vacuum i. e where air has been removed, then, the object will reach the ground at the same time.

B. An object drop from a height of 0.5m

Using the equation of free fall bodies

Object drop from an height has an initial velocity of 0

H=ut+1/2gt² free fall

0.5=0 + 1/2 * 9. 8 * t²

0.5=4.9t²

t²=0.5/4.9

t²=0.102

t=0.319secs

So we can determine the time by using equation of motion.

2. It won't be easy to measure this accurately with a stop watch, except for those new digital stopwatch that as an accuracy of 0.01secs, but it won't still be as accurate as the calculation because the answer is to 4 or more decimal places

B1. If the object where drop from a height of 10m.

It won't be easy to measure the distance of an object drop from a height of 10m with a metre rule because of the accuracy of the metre rule.

Yes the acceleration due to gravity is constant through the falls, it only varies in different location, but for the same location the acceleration is constant ...

So it is going to have the same acceleration due to gravity