CE Predict/Explain You drop two balls of equal diameter from...

CE Predict/Explain You drop two balls of equal diameter from the same height at the same time. Ball 1 is made of metal and has a greater mass than ball $2,$ which is made of wood. The upward force due to air resistance is the same for both balls. (a) Is the drop time of ball 1 greater than, less than, or equal to the drop time of ball 2$?$ (b) Choose the best explanation from among the following: \begin{equation} \begin{array}{l}{\text { I. The acceleration of gravity is the same for all objects, regard- }} \\ {\text { less of mass. }} \\ {\text { II. The more massive ball is harder to accelerate. }} \\ {\text { III. Air resistance has less effect on the more massive ball. }}\end{array} \end{equation}

CE Predict/Explain You drop two balls of equal diameter from the same height at the same time. Ball 1 is made of metal and has a
greater mass than ball $2,$ which is made of wood. The upward force
due to air resistance is the same for both balls. (a) Is the drop time of
ball 1 greater than, less than, or equal to the drop time of ball 2$?$ (b)
Choose the best explanation from among the following:
\begin{equation}
\begin{array}{l}{\text { I. The acceleration of gravity is the same for all objects, regard- }} \\ {\text { less of mass. }} \\ {\text { II. The more massive ball is harder to accelerate. }} \\ {\text { III. Air resistance has less effect on the more massive ball. }}\end{array}
\end{equation}

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Key Concepts

Air Resistance and Drag

Air resistance, or drag, is a force that opposes an object's motion through the air and depends on factors such as shape, size, and speed. Although the upward force due to air resistance may be equal for objects with identical shapes and sizes, the effect of this force varies with mass; a given drag force causes a smaller deceleration in more massive objects because their greater inertia makes them harder to slow down.

Mass and Inertia

Mass is a measure of an object’s inertia, which is its resistance to changes in its state of motion as described by Newton’s second law of motion. When two objects experience the same magnitude of air resistance, the less massive object will be more significantly decelerated compared to the more massive object, resulting in different effective accelerations during free-fall with air drag.

Gravitational Acceleration

Gravitational acceleration is a constant force that acts on all objects near the Earth’s surface, causing them to fall at nearly the same rate regardless of their mass. This fundamental principle, derived from Newton’s law of gravitation, implies that in the absence of significant air resistance, all objects will accelerate downward at the same rate, which is approximately 9.8 m/s².

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