if a cannon ball and a bowling ball were dropped at the same time from the top of a building, the instant before the cannon ball hit the ground it has greater?
a. velocity
b. acceleration
c. momentum
d. all of these are the same for the two balls.
acceleration
To determine which object has greater speed just before hitting the ground, we need to consider the concept of air resistance.
In a vacuum, where there is no air resistance, both the cannonball and the bowling ball would hit the ground at the same time since the only force acting on them would be gravity. However, in real-world scenarios, air resistance plays a significant role.
In general, heavier objects experience more air resistance than lighter objects when subjected to the same forces. The cannonball is much heavier than the bowling ball, so it will experience a higher level of air resistance as it falls.
As a result, the bowling ball, being lighter and less influenced by air resistance, will have a higher final speed just before hitting the ground compared to the cannonball. This is because the air resistance slows down the cannonball more significantly, reducing its speed compared to the bowling ball.
In conclusion, the bowling ball will have greater speed just before it hits the ground than the cannonball due to air resistance affecting the heavier cannonball more.