Why do objects all fall at the same time when gravity is the only force acting?

Answer 1

-- Because that's the way gravity behaves.

-- Because is would be ridiculous to think that heavy objects fall faster.

Here's why:

==> Let's say that heavy objects fall faster and light objects fall slower.

==> Take a piece of sticky tape and stick a light object onto the back of a heavy object.

Then drop them together off of a roof.

==> The light object tries to fall slower and holds back, and the heavy object tries

to fall faster and pulls forward. So when they're stuck together, they fall at some

in-between speed.

==> But wait! When they're stuck together they weigh more than the heavy object alone.

So how can a stuck-together object that's heavier than the heavy object alone fall at a

speed that's slower than the heavy object alone ? ! ?

Isn't that ridiculous ? There's no way that heavy objects can fall faster than light objects.

Answer 2

Objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum because gravity affects all objects equally regardless of their mass. This is known as the principle of equivalence. In the absence of air resistance or other forces, all objects accelerate towards the Earth at 9.81 m/s^2, leading to a uniform rate of fall for different objects.