Falling Objects

Similarities: At any instant while falling the two masses have the same size, shape, volume, direction of motion, speed, and acceleration (how speed and direction change). They were dropped from the same place, at the same time.

Differences: Density is mass per volume. The object with more mass must be denser because there is more material (matter) in the same volume.

Weight: On Earth weight is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration due to Earth’s gravity, which is approximately constant near Earth’s surface. The more massive object weigh’s more.

More massive and harder to stop: The more massive object will hit the ground with a bigger force (equal to it’s weight). The ground will “hit” it back with an equal and opposite force to stop it. The more massive object has more energy, which is mostly transferred to the surroundings when it hits the ground. The more massive object also has more momentum (mass times velocity). The more massive they are, the harder they fall, and the harder the ground hits them back!

© 2012 Science On Cards