If an elephant and a feather both left a tree at the same time on Earth, how would the time they hit the ground compare? Would it be the same or which would hit first and why?
In the absence of air resistance, both the elephant and the feather would hit the ground at the same time. This is because all objects, regardless of mass, experience the same acceleration due to gravity when they are dropped from the same height. On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.81 meters per second squared. However, in reality, air resistance would cause the feather to fall much slower than the elephant, so it would take much longer for it to hit the ground.
The time it takes for an object to fall to the ground depends on several factors, including its mass and the air resistance it experiences. In the scenario you described, assuming there is no air resistance:
1. The feather would experience a greater air resistance than the elephant due to its large surface area and low mass. This air resistance would slow down the feather's fall.
2. The elephant has a much larger mass compared to the feather, so it would accelerate faster due to gravity.
Due to these factors, the elephant would reach the ground first.