Why Does the Horizontal Ball in the Diagram Take Longer to Fall?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the concept of independence of motion, specifically regarding two balls: one falling straight down and the other moving horizontally. It is clarified that both objects will fall at the same rate if they have the same initial vertical velocity and air resistance is negligible. However, if one ball has an initial downward velocity, it will take longer to reach the ground compared to the horizontally moving ball. The presence of multiple flashes in the diagram suggests a potential error, as both should theoretically hit the ground simultaneously under the right conditions. The inquiry highlights the need for careful interpretation of diagrams in physics to avoid misconceptions.
Linday12
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[SOLVED] Independence of Motion

I have a problem with a diagram that goes along with independence of motion. When air resistance is negligible, objects are supposed to fall at the same rate. In the diagram (a flash photograph), it shows 2 balls falling, one straight down, and the other horizontally. So, in my interpretation, they should fall at the same time still. But in the diagram, the horizontal one has 2 more flash's of itself, indicating it took longer to fall. I was able to find another diagram in the textbook with the same problem. So I was just wondering why it shows that.
 
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Linday12 said:
I have a problem with a diagram that goes along with independence of motion. When air resistance is negligible, objects are supposed to fall at the same rate. In the diagram (a flash photograph), it shows 2 balls falling, one straight down, and the other horizontally. So, in my interpretation, they should fall at the same time still. But in the diagram, the horizontal one has 2 more flash's of itself, indicating it took longer to fall. I was able to find another diagram in the textbook with the same problem. So I was just wondering why it shows that.

they will take the same time to fall down at the condition that they have the same initial velocity along y! If an object is dropped from rest and another object is thrown horizontally, they will take the same time to reach the ground (neglecting air friction).
But if one object has some initial velocity along y (for example of the one moving straight down was actually thrown downward) then the times will be different
 
Ok. They were released simultaneously, so now I've got to figure out if it's an error in the diagram. Thanks.
 
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