Melissa is working on the roof of her house. She drops a hammer and a nail. Why do both objects hit the ground at the same time?

Question

Responses

Velocity causes both objects to fall at the same rate.

Earth’s gravity causes both objects to fall at the same rate.

Drag causes both objects to fall at the same rate.

Air resistance causes both objects to fall at the same rate.

Answer 1

Both objects hit the ground at the same time because Earth’s gravity causes both objects to fall at the same rate. In the absence of significant air resistance, all objects, regardless of their mass or shape, experience the same acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately 9.81 m/s².