Understanding the Freefall Model and Air Resistance
1. What properties must an object have to be able to ignore air resistance and use the freefall model?
a. Small metal BBs and baseballs
b. Beach balls and parachutes
Answer:
The freefall model can be used for objects that have a small surface area relative to their mass, such as small metal BBs and baseballs. Objects like beach balls and parachutes have large surface areas, making air resistance significant and the freefall model inappropriate.
Explanation:
The freefall model is used to describe the motion of objects falling under the influence of gravity while ignoring air resistance. An object that can be modeled using the freefall model should have a small surface area relative to its mass. This means that compact and streamlined objects like small metal BBs and baseballs are suitable for the freefall model. On the other hand, objects with large surface areas like beach balls and parachutes experience significant air resistance, making the freefall model inaccurate for them.