Does Dropping a Ball from Different Heights Affect Force or Work?

[Gheret]

Quick question

Doesn't F=mA imply that distance has no effect on force, but if I drop a 1kg ball from a height of 1m won't it have less force than the same ball from a height of say 5m?

Or am I just confusing force with work?

Thanks

 

[Svalbard]

You are confusing force with momentum.

 

[Drakkith]

The force is what is causing the acceleration of the ball due to gravity. The momentum will be more for a higher drop.

 

[Pengwuino]

If you drop two objects, the left hand side of that equation is equal to the mass of the object times the gravitational acceleration - that is: $$mg = ma$$ so your acceleration is simply g, the gravitational acceleration. An object experiences that acceleration on Earth no matter what it's mass is (as the mass cancels) and there is no dependence on how high it drops from. A more massive object will feel a greater force because the force by the gravitational field is mg, but objects with the same mass will fall with the same force and same acceleration from whatever height.

 

[Gheret]

Thanks for clearing that up guys.