A backpack full of books and an empty backpack are dropped from the same height. If there is no air resistance, which bag will hit the ground first?
a
This cannot be determined because the dimensions of the bags are needed.
b
The full bag will hit the ground first.
c
The empty bag will hit the ground first.
d
They will both hit the ground at the same time.
1 answer
d - They will both hit the ground at the same time (if we assume that the two backpacks are identical in size and shape and have the same mass regardless of their content). According to the principle of gravitational acceleration, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass, as long as there is no air resistance. This is often referred to as the "Galileo's experiment" or the "feather and hammer" experiment. Therefore, in this scenario, both backpacks will reach the ground at the same time.