1.If a flat sheet of paper and a rock are dropped at the same time on Earth (with air resistance), which will hit the ground first? Why?
2.If a flat sheet of paper and a rock are dropped at the same time on a planet with no air (and therefore no air resistance), which will hit the ground first? Why?
1. On Earth with air resistance, the rock will hit the ground first. This is because the rock has more mass and therefore more gravitational force acting on it compared to the flat sheet of paper. The air resistance slows down the paper more than the rock, causing the rock to hit the ground first.
2. On a planet with no air and therefore no air resistance, both the flat sheet of paper and the rock will hit the ground at the same time. This is because in the absence of air resistance, both objects will fall at the same rate due to gravity. The mass of the objects will not affect their rate of descent in a vacuum.