Here's why:
* Gravity: The force of gravity pulls on all objects equally, regardless of their mass (and therefore weight). This means a feather and a bowling ball will fall at the same rate in a vacuum.
* Acceleration due to Gravity: The acceleration due to gravity is constant for all objects near the Earth's surface (approximately 9.8 m/s²). This means that regardless of the object's weight, it will increase its speed by 9.8 meters per second every second it falls.
However, in the real world, air resistance plays a significant role:
* Air Resistance: Air resistance is a force that opposes the motion of an object through the air. The heavier an object is, the more force it takes to overcome air resistance.
* Terminal Velocity: As an object falls through the air, it accelerates until the force of air resistance equals the force of gravity. At this point, the object stops accelerating and falls at a constant speed called terminal velocity.
Therefore, in the real world, a heavier object will fall faster initially, but it will reach a higher terminal velocity due to its greater resistance to air resistance.
Key Points:
* In a vacuum, weight does not affect falling speed.
* In the real world, air resistance causes heavier objects to reach a higher terminal velocity.
* The acceleration due to gravity is constant for all objects near the Earth's surface.
