A nickel and a sheet of paper, which have approximately the same mass are dropped at the same time from the same height. The nickel will reach the ground first which statement best explains the results.
The nickel reaches the ground first primarily due to air resistance. When a nickel and a sheet of paper are dropped from the same height, even though they might have approximately the same mass, the shape and surface area of the two objects are drastically different, which affects how they interact with the air through which they're falling.
The paper, with its large and flat surface area, experiences a higher air resistance (drag) compared to the much smaller and more streamlined nickel. Air resistance opposes the downward force of gravity on the falling objects, and since it is more significant for the sheet of paper, it falls more slowly than the nickel. The nickel, being compact and dense, cuts through the air with much less resistance, allowing it to fall faster.
Gravity pulls on both the nickel and the paper with the same acceleration (ignoring air resistance). However, the effective force of gravity is significantly reduced by air resistance acting on the paper, but not nearly as much on the nickel. This is why, in the absence of air (in a vacuum), both objects would hit the ground at the same time, because there would be no air resistance to slow them down.