* Gravity: The only force acting on a projectile in a vacuum is gravity. Gravity pulls all objects towards the Earth with the same acceleration, regardless of their mass.
* Newton's Second Law: Newton's Second Law of Motion (F = ma) states that force equals mass times acceleration. Since the force of gravity is the same for all objects, a heavier object will experience the same acceleration as a lighter object.
* Horizontal Motion: In the absence of air resistance, there is no horizontal force acting on the projectile. This means the horizontal velocity remains constant, regardless of mass.
Therefore, a heavy projectile and a light projectile will follow the same trajectory if launched with the same initial velocity and angle, as long as there is no air resistance.
Example: Imagine a feather and a bowling ball dropped simultaneously from the same height in a vacuum chamber. They would fall at the same rate and hit the ground at the same time!
Important Note: This only applies in a vacuum where there is no air resistance. In reality, air resistance does affect projectiles, and heavier objects are less affected by it than lighter objects due to their greater inertia. This is why a feather falls much slower than a bowling ball in the atmosphere.
