Which statement best explains why a paper airplane eventually falls to the ground?
1. Inertia prevents new forces from acting on the airplane to keep it up.
2. The unbalanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down.
3. Inertia slows the airplane and pulls it down.
4. The force from throwing the airplane loses strength as the airplane moves.
2. The unbalanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down.
The statement that best explains why a paper airplane eventually falls to the ground is option 2: The unbalanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down. As the paper airplane moves through the air, it experiences air resistance, which is a force exerted by the air particles pushing in the opposite direction of the plane's motion. Gravity also acts on the plane, pulling it downward towards the Earth. The combination of these two forces causes the paper airplane to slow down and eventually fall to the ground.
To determine the correct answer, let's look at each statement and analyze them one by one.
1. Inertia prevents new forces from acting on the airplane to keep it up.
Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion. While inertia does play a role in why the airplane eventually falls, it alone cannot explain why it falls to the ground. This statement does not mention the forces acting on the airplane.
2. The unbalanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down.
This statement correctly describes the situation. The primary forces acting on a paper airplane are air resistance and gravity. Air resistance, or drag, slows down the forward motion of the airplane, while gravity pulls it downward. As the airplane slows down due to air resistance, the force of gravity becomes dominant, causing it to descend.
3. Inertia slows the airplane and pulls it down.
This statement is partially correct but lacks clarity. Inertia does slow down the airplane's motion, but it does not directly pull it down. Gravity is the force responsible for pulling objects towards the Earth.
4. The force from throwing the airplane loses strength as the airplane moves.
While it is true that the force applied to the airplane diminishes over time, this statement does not account for the primary factors leading to the airplane's fall - air resistance and gravity.
Based on the explanations provided, the most accurate statement is:
2. The unbalanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down.