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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

Misconceptions about falling objects

This video explains why objects of different masses fall at the same rate towards the ground. 

A heavy medicine ball is dropped at the same time and from the same height as a lighter basket ball.  They both hit the ground at the same time.

Although the medicine ball has a greater force on it, its inertia is also greater.

The ratio of force to inertia is the same for all objects and this is why all objects, no matter what their mass, accelerate towards the ground at the same rate.

Which hits the ground first?

 

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