* Air Resistance: Air resistance is a force that opposes the motion of objects through the air. The amount of air resistance an object experiences depends on its shape, size, and speed.
* Flat Paper: A flat piece of paper has a large surface area exposed to the air. This creates significant air resistance, slowing its descent and reducing its acceleration.
* Crumpled Ball: A crumpled ball of paper has a much smaller surface area exposed to the air. This reduces air resistance, allowing it to fall faster and accelerate closer to the full force of gravity.
In Summary:
* Gravity: Both the flat paper and the crumpled ball experience the same force of gravity, pulling them downward.
* Air Resistance: The flat paper experiences much more air resistance than the crumpled ball, which slows its descent.
Therefore, the crumpled ball will reach the ground faster and accelerate at a rate closer to the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s²) than the flat piece of paper.
