Question

A stone and a piece of paper are dropped simultaneously from the first floor of a building. Which of the two reaches the ground earlier, and why?

Answer 1

1. A stone has more mass compared to a piece of paper.
2. But, the value of acceleration due to gravity $g=\frac{GM}{R^2}$, where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the earth and R is the radius of the earth.
3. Hence, the acceleration due to gravity is independent of the mass of the falling object.
4. Theoretically, a piece of paper and a stone would reach at the same time. But, due to more surface area and air resistance, the piece of paper experiences an upward push.
5. Whereas the stone, due to its irregular shape and less air resistance, experiences no upward push.
6. Hence, the stone reaches earlier to the ground, when compared to the piece of paper.