Question

1. what factors affect the velocity of falling objects? select all that apply.

mass
friction
gravity
air resistance

Explanation:

• Friction: In the context of falling objects, air resistance is a form of friction. It opposes the motion of the falling object and affects its velocity.
• Gravity: It is the force that causes objects to fall. The acceleration due to gravity (\(g\)) influences the rate at which the velocity of a falling object changes.
• Air resistance: As mentioned, it is a type of friction. For example, a feather falls slower than a rock (in non - vacuum) because air resistance has a more significant impact on the feather. Mass does not affect the velocity of a falling object in a vacuum (as shown by Galileo's experiments), but in the presence of air resistance, it can have an indirect effect through its influence on the terminal velocity formula \(v_t=\sqrt{\frac{2mg}{

ho AC_d}}\) (where \(m\) is mass, \(g\) is acceleration due to gravity, \(
ho\) is air density, \(A\) is the cross - sectional area, and \(C_d\) is the drag coefficient). However, when considering the direct factors affecting the velocity of a falling object in a general sense (not in a highly technical terminal velocity derivation), mass is not a direct factor in the simple kinematic equations for free - fall (\(v = v_0+gt\) in vacuum, where \(v_0\) is initial velocity, \(g\) is acceleration due to gravity, and \(t\) is time).

Answer:

B. friction, C. gravity, D. air resistance