======Dropping Balls From Same Height======


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**Alternative titles:** Simultaneous Fall of Objects
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  -Hold a medicine ball and a softball at the same height above the floor.  
  -Drop both balls simultaneously and observe that they hit the ground together.  
  -Next, hold two identical balls at the same height.  
  -Drop one ball straight down while tossing the other horizontally at the same instant.  
  -Observe that both balls land at the same time (though it may be hard to see clearly by eye).



====Links==== 
Falling Balls | A Moment of Science | PBS: 
{{youtube>BF2Ic50m7kQ?}}\\


📄 Physics Force - University of Minnesota: [[https://physicsforce.umn.edu/content/ball-drop]]\\

====Variations====
  * Use a timing device or video recording to measure more precisely when each ball lands.  
  * Try dropping objects of very different masses (e.g., a basketball and a tennis ball).  
  * Use a release mechanism to eliminate human timing error.  
  * Perform outdoors from a greater height for a more dramatic effect.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Ensure the demonstration area is clear of people and fragile objects.  
  * Do not throw heavy balls with excessive force to avoid injury.  
  * Use soft or rubber balls if working in a classroom setting to reduce risk.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why do the two balls hit the floor at the same time even though one is heavier? (Because gravity accelerates all objects equally, regardless of mass.)  
  * Why doesn’t horizontal motion affect the time it takes for the ball to hit the ground? (Because horizontal and vertical motions are independent of each other.)  
  * What forces act on the balls once released? (Only gravity acts vertically; air resistance can be ignored for simple classroom demonstrations.)  
  * How does this experiment illustrate Galileo’s principle of falling bodies? (It shows that acceleration due to gravity is constant for all objects in free fall.)