In a vacuum, which of the following objects will fall faster?

In a vacuum, which of the following objects will fall faster?

• A. A bowling ball
• B. A feather
• C. Both fall at the same rate.
• D. A paperclip

Answer: (C)

In a vacuum, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass or shape, due to the absence of air resistance. According to Galileo's principle of uniform acceleration, in a vacuum, the acceleration due to gravity is constant at approximately 9.81 m/s² for all objects. This means that a bowling ball, a feather, and a paperclip would all fall at the same speed if dropped from the same height in the absence of air friction. However, in the presence of air, objects like feathers and paperclips would fall more slowly than a bowling ball due to air resistance affecting lighter and less dense objects more significantly. But since the question specifies a vacuum, this effect is eliminated, making all objects fall at the same rate under the influence of gravity alone.

In a vacuum, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass or shape, due to the absence of air resistance. According to Galileo's principle of uniform acceleration, in a vacuum, the acceleration due to gravity is constant at approximately 9.81 m/s² for all objects. This means that a bowling ball, a feather, and a paperclip would all fall at the same speed if dropped from the same height in the absence of air friction.

However, in the presence of air, objects like feathers and paperclips would fall more slowly than a bowling ball due to air resistance affecting lighter and less dense objects more significantly. But since the question specifies a vacuum, this effect is eliminated, making all objects fall at the same rate under the influence of gravity alone.