Question

Two skydivers of different masses jump from a plane. In three to five sentences, explain how their falls compare, including the effects of gravity, mass, and air resistance.(4 points) Make it short and sound like a 8th grader

Answer 1

When two skydivers of different masses jump from a plane, both experience the same force of gravity pulling them down, which is strong for everyone. Even though the heavier skydiver has more weight, both will fall at the same rate in a vacuum because gravity pulls on all objects equally. However, when air resistance kicks in, the lighter skydiver might hit terminal velocity sooner due to less weight pushing against the air, while the heavier skydiver will continue to accelerate a bit longer until both reach the same terminal velocity, where the force of air resistance balances the force of gravity. In the end, they’ll fall at the same speed once they reach that point, but the heavier one might be faster initially.