how is it that heavier objects don’t fall faster (e.g. Pisa experiment) , but heavier people go faster downhill on skis or sleds than less heavy people

Question

Edit: thanks all for your examples!

In: 3

Answer 1

There are different forces at work when interacting with the ground.

In the air, gravity pulls mass with a certain force, and inertia in the object resists that force so that everything accelerates at the same rate. However, when you introduce a slope and differing friction into the mix, you will get different speeds.

Let’s say a light person weighs 60kg and that lets them ski at a certain speed. Someone weighing 120kg has twice the force of gravity, but negligibly more friction in their interaction with the surface of the snow. They are “closer to freefall” in the respect that they are proportionately less affected by the sliding resistance.

Hope this helps. 🙂