Do objects of different mass fall at the same rate?
Andrew Mclaughlin
Updated on January 23, 2026
As such, all objects free fall at the same rate regardless of their mass. Because the 9.8 N/kg gravitational field at Earth's surface causes a 9.8 m/s/s acceleration of any object placed there, we often call this ratio the acceleration of gravity.
Do objects of the same mass fall at the same speed?
Mass does not affect the speed of falling objects, assuming there is only gravity acting on it. Both bullets will strike the ground at the same time.Do heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects?
No, heavier objects fall as fast (or slow) as lighter objects, if we ignore the air friction. The air friction can make a difference, but in a rather complicated way. The gravitational acceleration for all objects is the same. 3) how dense the object is.Why do things with different mass fall at the same acceleration?
Increasing force tends to increase acceleration while increasing mass tends to decrease acceleration. Thus, the greater force on more massive objects is offset by the inverse influence of greater mass. Subsequently, all objects free fall at the same rate of acceleration, regardless of their mass.Does a feather and a rock fall at the same speed?
Galileo discovered that objects that are more dense, or have more mass, fall at a faster rate than less dense objects, due to this air resistance. A feather and brick dropped together. Air resistance causes the feather to fall more slowly.Misconceptions About Falling Objects
Why do two balls of different masses hit the ground at the same time?
Gravity is the force that causes things to fall to earth. When you drop a ball (or anything) it falls down. Gravity causes everything to fall at the same speed. This is why balls that weigh different amounts hit the ground at the same time.Do objects of higher mass fall faster?
Acceleration of Falling ObjectsHeavier things have a greater gravitational force AND heavier things have a lower acceleration. It turns out that these two effects exactly cancel to make falling objects have the same acceleration regardless of mass.
Does weight Affect fall rate?
The simplest answer is: no, an object's weight usually will not change its falling speed. For example, you can test this by dropping a bowling ball and a basketball from the same height at the same time--they should fall at the same speed and land at the same time.Why does a feather fall slower than a brick?
Galileo discovered that objects that are more dense, or have more mass, fall at a faster rate than less dense objects, due to this air resistance. A feather and brick dropped together. Air resistance causes the feather to fall more slowly.Does mass affect speed?
Mass doesn't affect speed directly. It determines how quickly an object can change speed (accelerate) under the action of a given force. Lighter objects need less time to change speed by a given amount under a given force.Why do some objects fall faster than others near the surface of the earth if all mass is attracted equally by the force of gravity?
Why do some objects fall faster than others near the surface of the earth if all mass is attracted equally by the force of gravity? Some objects fall faster because of air resistance, which acts in the direction of the motion of the object and exerts more force on objects with less surface area.Who said all objects fall at the same rate?
Galileo took an interest in rates of fall when he was about 26 years old and a math teacher at the University of Pisa. It seemed to him that -- with no air resistance -- a body should fall at a speed proportional to its density. He decided to test this modified Aristotelian view by making an experiment.Why does a coin fall faster than paper?
Answer is (3) air resistance is less.We know that gravitational acceleration is same for all falling bodies. But coin which is heavier body experiences less air resistance as compared to paper. Therefore coins falls faster.