Why heavier objects do not swing faster than lighter objects in pendulum?

Answer 1

From the laws of nature what ever goes up must come down. This is due to a constant gravitational acceleration which acts on all objects that are on our planet earth. Every object on this planet, independent of size, experiences the same (Constant acceleration) gravitational acceleration so all falling objects have the same acceleration.

But a nagging doubt may remain if you are concluding that the gravitational attraction between earth and an object is greater the greater the mass of the object. Here is a non-mathematical way to resolve the dilemma. The more massive object will indeed have a stronger gravitational attraction with earth, but it will also have a greater inertia. (When you think about inertia, the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest, you might find yourself wondering why the lighter object doesn't hit the ground first!) The combination of gravitational attraction and inertia will be the constant acceleration mentioned above. It still may be difficult to overcome the idea that a heavier object should fall more quickly. Try this mental experiment. Imagine yourself at your antipode, that is, the point on earth that is exactly opposite to your present position. go straight down through the center and come out on the surface. (If that will be water, create a temporary island for a minute.) Now imagine yourself dropping the two objects in a vacuum, and imagine them falling "up" toward the ground. Somehow, imagining it this way makes it easier to see that the greater gravitational attraction is working on a "weightier" or more massive object. It is easier to see that they will naturally "fall" to earth at the same rate of acceleration. Of course, air resistance will cause some differences depending on the materials involved. Drop a Bowling ball and a feather from any height, and barring any trickery, the ball will hit the ground first. The acceleration rate for objects falling toward earth (that would have to be corrected for air resistance) is 9.8 meters/seconds squared. In a vacuum, there is no correction necessary for air resistance.

Answer 2

Because all objects fall with the same acceleration and speed.

Sound weird ?

OK. Let's say heavier objects fall faster and lighter ones fall slower.

Take a light object and a heavy object. Tie them together with a short piece of dental floss, and

drop them off the top of a building.

The light object wants to fall slow, but the heavy one pulls it down a little faster.

The heavy object wants to fall fast, but the light one holds it back a little.

Together, they fall at a speed that's somewhere in between the slow speed of the light one,

and the fast speed of the heavy one.

Now you have one object, made of two pieces tied together, and it's falling slower than the

bigger piece would fall if you took the smaller piece away ? ? ?

Does this make sense ?

The truth is that light objects and heavy objects all fall the same. Even leaves and feathers,

as long as there's no air to hold them up.