Gravity and Falling Objects

The Demo: This demo requires any two objects that are of similar size but have different
masses. A stress ball and a hockey puck work well but can be substituted with other similar
objects. The objects are to be dropped simultaneously from the same height, and students are to
predict what will happen (which will hit the ground first/fall faster). Once the objects have been
dropped, they will hit the ground at the same time. Be sure not to choose objects that will be
highly affected by air resistance (such as a piece of paper).

The Science: The speed at which something falls is determined by a number known as the
acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/s2). Because gravity is constant, anything affected by it will
accelerate at this rate, regardless of the mass. This can be affected by factors such as air
resistance, but in a vacuum, any two objects would accelerate at the same rate and therefore hit
the ground at the same time.
Source: My physics teacher in high school demonstrated this principle using two random objects
she found in the classroom (a roll of duct tape and a chalkboard eraser). She did not present it as
a POE, but I figured it would be good to turn into one.
Extension Activities:
 This can lead to a discussion about air resistance (try doing the experiment with
something like a sheet of paper or cloth), which can explain why it doesn’t work for
every two objects. There are videos online showing this experiment performed in a
vacuum where there is no air resistance.
 It could also lead to a discussion about the force of gravity (in Newtons) and an
explanation of why the two objects fall at the same rate even though the actual forces in
Newtons (Fg) are different.
 It could also lead to a discussion about projectile motion, and how if one object is falling
straight down and the other is following more of a projectile trajectory, they will still hit
the ground at the same time.