why do things that are bigger move more slowly?

Question

I know the rules say “don’t literally explain it as if it’s a 5-year-old” but in this case I truly think the “dumbest” you can make the answer, the better

In: 1

Answer 1

“Move more slowly” is decently misleading.

It’s more thag bigger objects tend to be more massive (or, in simple terms: heavier). Heavier objects are harder to accelerate, because it require more energy (or, in simple terms: a bigger push, be it stronger or longer).

A small car and a big delivery truck can both move at 100 miles per hour, if they get a big enough push.

The best way to do that experiment, is to grab a glass marble (available at your nearest craft store), a quarter of a sheet of paper, and a straw. Roll the paper into a ball, and try to use the straw to blow air on it to accelerate it: it should accelerate rather easily. Now set the marble down, and try to do the same with the straw on it. It should accelerate slower, but ideally, with a big enough surface, it should accelerate to the same speed (assuming you blew on both at the same strength, and for long enough that is).

Now, you can make the argument that bigger things have a lower terminal velocity (maximum speed) while crashing down on Earth, and lighter things have a higher one, but that would be due to other factors like air resistance, in which size has an effect.