Here's why:
* Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: This law states that the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
* Free Fall: A body in free fall is only under the influence of gravity.
* Acceleration Due to Gravity: The acceleration due to gravity (g) is a constant value near the Earth's surface, approximately 9.8 m/s². This value is independent of the falling object's mass.
In simpler terms:
Imagine dropping a feather and a bowling ball from the same height. They will both accelerate towards the Earth at the same rate, even though the bowling ball is much more massive. This is because the Earth's gravitational pull is much stronger than the objects' individual masses.
However:
It's important to note that the mass of the falling object DOES affect the force of gravity between it and the Earth. A more massive object experiences a stronger gravitational force. But this force is balanced by the object's greater inertia, resulting in the same acceleration.
In summary:
The mass of a freely falling body doesn't affect its acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration due to gravity (g) is constant for all objects near the Earth's surface.
