• Question: why when you drop a bowling ball and a feather at the same time they hit the ground at differnt times, but when you take away all the air they hit the ground at exactly the same time?

    Asked by Eli H to Heather, Helen, Hugh, Jane, Julian on 14 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      Yes indeed – I’m sure you must have seen the wonderful demonstration Brian Cox did of just this experiment.
      They drop at the same rate, but because feathers have a much bigger surface area for their weight, they feel the drag of the atmosphere much more, so fall more slowly.
      However really they are sort of falling at the same rate due to gravity, except there is air resistance working in the opposite direction. It also works on the ball, but to a much lesser extent.

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      Hmm I wonder who’s been watching Brian Cox? 😀

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