Gravity Without Air Resistance

Separate a no-air model from falling objects in everyday air.

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In the same uniform gravitational field with no air resistance, objects released from rest together at the same height have the same acceleration and landing time, regardless of mass. Starting conditions matter.

Worked example

Imagine two same-size balls with different masses released from rest together above the same level ground in a vacuum. Neither is thrown. They speed up equally and land together.

Two objects of different mass start at the same height and at rest in a uniform gravitational field with no air. Matching arrows and final positions represent equal acceleration and landing time.

Would you believe it?

On Apollo 15, a hammer and a feather released together reached the Moon surface together. Essentially no air was there to slow the feather.

NASA: the hammer and feather

Question 1 Which object in the example lands first? They land together The more massive one The smaller one

Question 2 Why can a feather take longer than a hammer in air? Gravity ignores feathers Feathers have no mass Air resistance affects them differently

Question 3 Does the Moon have gravity? Only when astronauts visit Yes No, because there is little air

Question 4 Which change prevents using the equal-landing prediction directly? Releasing one object earlier Changing only mass in the no-air model Using the same starting height

Question 5 Equal acceleration means what? They have equal masses Gravity has stopped Their velocities change at the same rate

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