What are two forces that act on a leaf when it falls from a tree?
a
mass
b
gravity
c
acceleration
d
air resistance
e
inertia
The two forces that act on a leaf when it falls from a tree are gravity and air resistance. To arrive at this answer, we can break down the question into its parts:
1. Gravity: Gravity is a force that pulls objects towards each other. In the case of a falling leaf, gravity pulls it downward towards the ground. We can identify gravity as one of the forces because it is a fundamental force that acts upon all objects and is responsible for the motion of objects falling towards the Earth.
2. Air resistance: As the leaf falls through the air, it experiences a force known as air resistance or drag. Air resistance is the force exerted by air molecules on the surface of the object moving through the air. It acts in the opposite direction to the motion of the leaf and tends to slow it down. As the leaf accelerates due to gravity, the force of air resistance increases until it eventually balances out the force of gravity, resulting in a constant speed called the terminal velocity.
By evaluating the answer choices provided, we can see that options b (gravity) and d (air resistance) are the correct forces that act on a leaf when it falls from a tree.