Tap for spoiler

The bowling ball isn’t falling to the earth faster. The higher perceived acceleration is due to the earth falling toward the bowling ball.

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    Bowling ball. Because wind resistance is a thing and the feather has higher surface area creating more drag, and there’s no such thing as a perfect vacuum.

    • BB84@mander.xyzOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      A feather has smaller cross-section area than a bowling ball. But drag acceleration is proportional to the cross-section area divided by the mass (and this quantity is indeed smaller for the bowling ball).

      Anyway the hypothetical scenario in this meme is a perfect vacuum. Check my other comments to see why it still works.

      • aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 days ago

        A feather has smaller surface area than a bowling ball.

        Depends on the feather and the bowling ball. Even relatively small (by volume) feathers might outdo a bowling ball thanks to the numerous fine shapes they have.

        • BB84@mander.xyzOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          2 days ago

          I meant cross-section area, not surface area. Sorry. Edited my comment above.

          • aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 days ago

            An average bowling ball is 8.5 inches in diameter, giving it a cross sectional surface area of roughly 60 sq in. Restricting ourselves to feathers made by non-human animals, the longest feather measured was on a Yokohama chicken at 34 feet / 400+ inches. I can’t find the width of the feather, but it’s still likely it outdoes an average bowling ball.

            • BB84@mander.xyzOP
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              2 days ago

              That is one very impressive feather.

              Restricting ourselves to feathers made by non-human animals

              🤔🤔🤔