falling objects- stuff you need to know!

In the fourth century B.C., Aristotle stated that an object falls with a speed proportionate to its weight that is, the heavier the object, the faster it falls.

This idea was generally accepted until the 17th century, when Galileo showed that the rate of fall caused by gravity is the same for all objects.

However, on Earth these objects fall at a different rate because of air resistance. In a vacuum, a lump of lead, a feather, and a leaf will fall at the same rate.

This phenomenon was demonstrated by astronauts on the moon, which has no atmosphere. In one experiment, a hammer and a feather were dropped together from the same height; both fell at the same rate and struck the surface of the moon simultaneously.