Question

use the information and table to answer the following question. a group of physics students are investigating free - fall. three balls are dropped from rest out of a second - story window. air resistance can be ignored. which of the following rankings correctly describes the order in which the objects reach the ground? a all of the balls will reach the ground at different times because mass and diameter affect free - fall acceleration. b ball 2 and ball 3 reach the ground before ball 1 because they have a larger mass. c ball 1 and ball 2 reach the ground before ball 3 because they have a larger diameter. d all of the balls will reach the ground at the same time because mass and diameter do not affect free - fall acceleration.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall free - fall principle

In free - fall with air resistance ignored, all objects near the Earth's surface accelerate at the same rate \(g\approx9.8\ m/s^{2}\), regardless of mass and diameter.

Step2: Analyze ball motion

Since the three balls are dropped from rest from the same height and air resistance is ignored, they will all have the same acceleration and thus reach the ground at the same time.

Answer:

D. All of the balls will reach the ground at the same time because mass and diameter do not affect free - fall acceleration.