a very random thread

[Tiggeroo]

inspired by an odd response to my question about christmas lights just post a random thought or question.

does a ball and a feather dropped from the top of a tower reach the ground at the same time like i remember learning in science class?

 

[kdibattista]

inspired by an odd response to my question about christmas lights just post a random thought or question.

does a ball and a feather dropped from the top of a tower reach the ground at the same time like i remember learning in science class?

The pink cow flies at noon

 

[Tiggeroo]

is cow tipping a real thing? Do they really tip over at night?

 

[N&B'smom]

If Goofy and Pluto are both dogs, why is it that Goofy can talk but Pluto can't!?!? Hardly seems fair.

Shelby

 

[kdibattista]

What are those really, really bright Christmas lights called

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Well apparently we're not supposed to answer this question. I'm sorry that I wasted a few minutes pondering an answer before scrolling down.

 

[Mumbling Jumba]

You can lead a horse to water but the sky is still purple.

 

[Tiggeroo]

answers, where are our answers

 

[dogsmom]

inspired by an odd response to my question about christmas lights just post a random thought or question.

does a ball and a feather dropped from the top of a tower reach the ground at the same time like i remember learning in science class?

We have to approach this scientifically. Do you mean
a water tower?
a radio tower?
a cell phone tower?
a fire watch tower?
the Eiffel Tower?

 

[CarolG]

In response to the original question...

From http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae6.cfm

Question
Do falling objects drop at the same rate (for instance a pen and a bowling ball dropped from the same height) or do they drop at different rates? I know a feather floats down very slowly but I would think a heavy object would fall faster than a light object. Thanks for your help. I have a bet on this one.

Answer
If no air resistance is present, the rate of descent depends only on how far the object has fallen, no matter how heavy the object is. This means that two objects will reach the ground at the same time if they are dropped simultaneously from the same height. This statement follows from the law of conservation of energy and has been demonstrated experimentally by dropping a feather and a lead ball in an airless tube.

When air resistance plays a role, the shape of the object becomes important. In air, a feather and a ball do not fall at the same rate. In the case of a pen and a bowling ball air resistance is small compared to the force a gravity that pulls them to the ground. Therefore, if you drop a pen and a bowling ball you could probably not tell which of the two reached the ground first unless you dropped them from a very very high tower.

 

[dogsmom]

In response to the original question...

From http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae6.cfm

Okay, how high do you need that tower to be?

 

[Mysteria]

Okay, how high do you need that tower to be?

Does it make a difference where in the world that tower is?

Myst

 

[dogsmom]

Does it make a difference where in the world that tower is?

Myst

Well sure. If the tower is in Antarctica I would think that thlings would be a little heavier than if they were in Tahiti. And what if the wind were blowing? Wouldn't it blow the feather away?