How Does Mass Affect the Terminal Speed of Falling Objects?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on determining how mass affects the terminal speed of falling objects, specifically using flat-bottomed coffee filters as a test subject. The experiment involves three sets of tests with one, two, and three stacked filters to observe the time taken to reach a motion sensor. The formulated question asks whether the mass of an object of the same shape changes the time it takes to reach the sensor. The hypothesis suggests that an increase in mass increases the time taken to reach the sensor, prompting further exploration of the forces acting on the object at terminal velocity and the relationship between weight and mass.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of terminal velocity concepts
  • Basic knowledge of forces acting on falling objects
  • Familiarity with experimental design and hypothesis formulation
  • Knowledge of the relationship between mass and weight
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of terminal velocity and its dependence on mass
  • Explore the relationship between weight and mass in different gravitational fields
  • Learn about motion sensors and their applications in physics experiments
  • Investigate how air resistance affects falling objects of varying shapes and masses
USEFUL FOR

Students conducting physics experiments, educators teaching concepts of motion and forces, and anyone interested in the principles of terminal velocity and mass effects on falling objects.

HelloMotto
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one way to determine how the terminal speed depends on the mass of an object is to observe the motion of flat-bottomed coffee filters falling vertically toward a motion sensor. My teacher told me we will do 3 sets of test. first one is with 1 filter, second with 2 stacked filters, and 3rd one with 3 stacked filters and see if there are difference in the time it takes to reach the sensor

#1 formulate an appropriate question for this investigation
so I wrote
does the mass of a object of same shape increase the time it takes to reach towards the sensor?

#2 Write your hypothesis to answer the question

so my answer to my question was
increase in mass increases the time it takes to reach the sensor.(i don't know how to explain this :( )

Did i do this right?
 
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For #1, you might consider changing the word "increase" to "change".

For #2, consider the following questions:

How are the forces acting on the object after it has reached terminal velocity related to each other?

How is object's weight related to its mass?
 

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