Zenola has a wooden ball with a mass of 28 grams, a golf ball of 46 grams, and a metal ball of 110 grams. If she drops the balls at the same time in what order will the balls hit the floor? A. wooden ball, then golf ball, then metal ball B. metal ball, then golf ball, then wooden ball C. golf ball and metal ball together, then wooden ball D. all three balls hit the floor about the same time

1 answer

In a vacuum, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass due to the uniform acceleration of gravity. However, when dropped in air, factors like air resistance come into play.

In this scenario, the wooden ball (28 grams) and the golf ball (46 grams) will experience more air resistance relative to their weight compared to the metal ball (110 grams). The denser and heavier metal ball will likely overcome air resistance more effectively than the other two balls.

As such, the order in which the balls will hit the floor is:

B. metal ball, then golf ball, then wooden ball

The metal ball will hit the ground first, followed by the golf ball, and finally, the wooden ball, which is most affected by air resistance.