suppose an elephant and a feather fall from a skyscraper. in the presence of air resistance, the elephant would fall faster because...list all that apply.
a) acceleration of gravity is greatest for the elephant
b) elephant experiences a smaller air resis. force
c) the greater mass of the feather provides more air resis. to its fall
d) the weight if the elephant is so much greater; air resis. effects it less
e) though they have the same mass, the
elephant weighs more
f) the elephant and the feather would fall at the same rate
Just d
To determine why the elephant would fall faster in the presence of air resistance compared to the feather, let's analyze each option:
a) Acceleration of gravity is greatest for the elephant: This statement is incorrect. The acceleration due to gravity is the same for all objects near the Earth's surface. It is approximately 9.8 meters per second squared.
b) The elephant experiences a smaller air resistance force: This statement is incorrect. In reality, the elephant experiences a larger air resistance force due to its larger surface area compared to the feather.
c) The greater mass of the feather provides more air resistance to its fall: This statement is incorrect. Although the feather has less mass compared to the elephant, it experiences less air resistance due to its small surface area.
d) The weight of the elephant is much greater; air resistance affects it less: This statement is correct. The weight of an object affects the impact of air resistance. Since the weight of the elephant is significantly greater than that of the feather, the effect of air resistance on the elephant is relatively smaller.
e) Though they have the same mass, the elephant weighs more: This statement is incorrect. The weight of an object is determined by the mass and acceleration due to gravity. Therefore, if two objects have the same mass, their weight will be equal.
f) The elephant and the feather would fall at the same rate: This statement is incorrect. In the absence of air resistance, all objects, regardless of their mass, fall at the same rate due to the acceleration of gravity. However, when air resistance is present, the larger surface area of the elephant leads to a greater air resistance force, causing it to fall faster than the feather.
In conclusion, options d) and f) are correct. The weight of the elephant affects air resistance less, and in the presence of air resistance, the elephant would fall faster than the feather from a skyscraper.