Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, thought that heavy objects fall to Earth faster than lighter objects. How could Aristotle's hypothesis be supported or disproved?

Gravitational potential energy=mass of object x gravitational field strength on earth(9.8 usually rounded to 10) x the height the object is held at
Therefore if two objects were held at the same height, the object with more mass(the heavier object) will fall faster because it's gravitational potential energy is greater than that of the lighter object

Answered by francescamichaela | 2024-06-10

Galileo disproved Aristotle's hypothesis that heavier objects fall faster by showing that all objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum, highlighting the value of empirical evidence and the testability of scientific theories.
Aristotle's hypothesis that heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects can be supported or disproved through experimental observation and logical reasoning. Galileo Galilei conducted experiments showing that, in the absence of friction, all objects fall at the same rate, thus disproving Aristotle's theory. Galileo's experiment can be replicated by dropping objects of different masses side by side in a vacuum, or by considering the example of a heavy rock and a lighter one tied together, where Aristotle's reasoning would lead to a contradiction.
Galileo also demonstrated that a heavy object and a light object, such as a hammer and a feather, would fall at the same rate in a vacuum, which was famously shown in a NASA video on the Moon. These findings emphasize the importance of empirical evidence over established authority and highlight the need for scientific theories to be testable and falsifiable.

Answered by KaushakiKu | 2024-06-24

Aristotle's hypothesis that heavier objects fall faster was debunked by experiments, particularly by Galileo, who demonstrated that all objects fall at the same rate in a vacuum. To test this theory, one could drop objects of different weights in a vacuum to see them hit the ground simultaneously. This shows that mass does not affect the rate of free fall when air resistance is negligible.
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Answered by francescamichaela | 2024-12-16