Why acceleration due to gravity same for all objects

Since the larger box has twice the force pulling on it and this is what you feel when you hold it in your hand , it is tempting to predict that it will fall more quickly. But, the larger box has twice as much mass to set into motion, so it will accelerate at the same rate as a lighter object.

A force of 20 newton on a 2 kilogram mass has the same effect as a force of 40 newton on a 4 kilogram mass. In fact, we can use Newton's second law of motion see the SPT: Forces topic to calculate the acceleration in each of these cases. This is quite unlike the case for horizontal motion, where you can vary the force exerted and the mass independently.

For the smaller mass, the force is 20 N and the mass is 2 kg , so:. For the larger mass, the force is 40 N and the mass is 4 kg , so:. Both objects fall with an acceleration of about 10 metre second If one or both objects are noticeably affected by air resistance, another factor comes into play, and the rule does not hold. For example, dropping a golf ball and a feather will result in the golf ball hitting the ground before the feather, which is greatly affected by air resistance and air currents.

Note that any object you drop is somewhat affected by air resistance. However, some are barely affected, such that the rule still holds. The fact that the acceleration due to gravity is independent of the mass of the objects has been verified many times. In the s, Galileo Galilei was said to have dropped two balls of different mass from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to prove that objects of different mass fall at the same rate. Some historians doubt whether he actually did the experiment at Pisa, but the experimental results are documented.

You can verify this experiment yourself by standing on a chair and dropping two balls or objects of different weights at exactly the same time. This is a rough experiment, but it can demonstrate the principle. The Equivalence Principle of Gravity states that all objects fall at the same rate, assuming negligible air resistance.

The force of gravity equation shows that the value of the acceleration due to gravity is a constant and is independent of the mass of the object. The most famous verification was when Galileo apparently dropped two balls of different mass from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.

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Cut it in half. How fast does each half fall? Add a comment.