Without Air Resistance
Suppose that an elephant and a feather are dropped off a very tall building from the same height at the
same time. Suppose also that air resistance could be eliminated such that neither the elephant nor the
feather would experience any air drag during the course of their fall. Which object - the elephant or the
feather - will hit the ground first? Many people are surprised by the fact that in the absence of air
resistance, the elephant and the feather strike the ground at the same time. Why is this so? Test your
understanding by identifying the following statements as being either True
(T) or False (F)
.
1. The elephant and the feather each have the same force of gravity. (T) or (F)
2. The elephant has more mass, yet they both experience the same force of gravity. (T) or (F)
3. The elephant experiences a greater force of gravity, yet both the elephant and the feather
have the same mass. (T) or (F)
4. On earth, all objects (whether an elephant or a feather) have the same force of gravity. (T) or (F)
5. The elephant weighs more than the feather, yet they each have the same mass. (T) or (F)
6. The elephant clearly has more mass than the feather, yet they each weigh the same. (T) or (F)
7. The elephant clearly has more mass than the feather, yet the amount of gravity (force) is the
same for each. (T) or (F)
8. The elephant has the greater acceleration, yet the amount of gravity is the same for each.
(T) or (F)
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