Question
Objects fall at different rates due to:
a
mass
b
air resistance
c
inertia
d
weight
a
mass
b
air resistance
c
inertia
d
weight
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Objects fall at different rates primarily due to **b) air resistance**.
While mass, weight, and inertia can influence the motion of an object, the key factor in differing fall rates, especially for objects of varying shapes and sizes, is the impact of air resistance (drag). For instance, a feather falls more slowly than a rock, not because of their mass or weight differences, but because the feather experiences significantly more air resistance relative to its weight. In a vacuum, where there is no air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass.
While mass, weight, and inertia can influence the motion of an object, the key factor in differing fall rates, especially for objects of varying shapes and sizes, is the impact of air resistance (drag). For instance, a feather falls more slowly than a rock, not because of their mass or weight differences, but because the feather experiences significantly more air resistance relative to its weight. In a vacuum, where there is no air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass.