While Carmen is at the park with her family, she walks up to a wishing well. She throws a penny down the well, and she hears a splash at the bottom. Which of the following best describes what happens as the penny falls?

A)The force of gravity is equal to the air resistance acting on the penny.
B)The magnetic force of the well attracts the penny and causes it to fall even faster.
C) The force of friction acts against air resistance, causing the penny to fall even faster.
D)The force of air resistance acts against gravity, but it is not enough to overcome gravity.

Answers a and d depend on the depth of the well. Here in Texas, with deep wells, a would be true. We wish for water, usually.

In those Yankee wishing wells, which you can see the bottom, D would be true.

D)The force of air resistance acts against gravity, but it is not enough to overcome gravity.

The correct answer is D) The force of air resistance acts against gravity, but it is not enough to overcome gravity.

When Carmen throws the penny down the well, the primary force acting on the penny is gravity. Gravity is the force that pulls objects towards the center of the Earth. As the penny falls, it is accelerated by the force of gravity.

However, there is another force at play called air resistance or drag. Air resistance is the force exerted by the air on an object moving through it. In this case, as the penny falls through the air, it experiences a force opposing its motion due to air resistance.

The force of air resistance tries to slow down the penny's fall. However, in this scenario, the force of air resistance is not enough to overcome the force of gravity. Therefore, the penny continues to accelerate downward, resulting in a splash when it hits the water at the bottom of the well.