Task 2.1 Research Investigation Semester 2015: Gravity And Motion

Task 2.1 Research Investigation Semester 1 2018: Gravity and Motion
By Ty Behnke

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Claim…..…………………………………………………………………………………………………… Pg.3

Rationale…………………………………………………………………………………………………. Pg.3

Research Question…………………………………………………………………………………… Pg.3

Research……………………………………………..……………………………………………….. Pg.3-6

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….………………… Pg.6

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………….………………… Pg.7

Claim
All objects regardless of their mass, fall to the ground at the same rate.

Rationale
This claim states that all bodies with varying masses fall towards the ground at an equal rate (9.81 ms-2.)
For centuries, this topic has been debated, with famous scientists Newton and Galileo supporting

All objects are pulled towards earth at a constant rate of 9.81 m/s2, this is called gravitational pull. If a heavy object and a light object is held in either hands, it would seem the heavier object would fall faster. Bodies with a greater mass require more force to be pulled towards the earth with the same acceleration. Objects with a greater gravitational force require more force directed in the opposite direction to keep it balanced.
Equations can be used to prove this claim. For this example, an object that weighs 10 kg and an object that weighs 100 kg can be used. To calculate the acceleration of these two objects, we can use Newton’s second law of motion. The equation given in Newton’s second law is:
F = ma
To find acceleration, the equation must be re arranged: a = F/m
Because all objects fall to the ground at 9.81m/s2, it can be substituted for the acceleration:
F = m * 9.81
9.81 =

As expected, the bowling ball hits the ground first, while the feathers take a significantly longer time to hit the ground. Then they repeat the experiment but lower the pressure immensely to form a vacuum. It was discovered that the bowling and the feathers fell to the ground at the same rate, proving that mass does not affect an objects acceleration, if air resistance is not present. Figure 1: An image taken from the inside of a vacuum chamber by BBC Two at the Space Power Facility, Ohio.
The amount of air resistance something encounters depends on two factors, size and mass. Objects with a greater surface area will encounter more air resistance as there is more space for air molecules to collide. As for mass, objects with a greater mass will take longer to reach terminal velocity. Heavier objects also exhibit a greater gravitational force, meaning that it will take longer to reach terminal velocity.
An experiment conducted by the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) compares the time it takes for objects of varied sizes and masses to hit the ground when dropped from the window of a building. The results recorded are given