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zanick
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if you drop a spring that is elongated via its only weight (slinky) vs another spring that is on its side... will both hit the ground at the same time?
If the centers of mass start at equal heights and at rest, they keep equal heights during fall. Ignoring air resistance.zanick said:forgot to add ... both oriented with their center of mass
Yes, both the vertical and horizontal spring will drop at the same time if they are released at the same height and have the same mass and stiffness.
This is a common misconception because people tend to associate the vertical direction with gravity, which can affect the speed of an object. However, in this case, the force of gravity acts equally on both the vertical and horizontal spring, so they will drop at the same rate.
The shape of the spring does not have a significant impact on its drop time. As long as the spring is released at the same height and has the same mass and stiffness, it will drop at the same rate regardless of its shape.
Air resistance can have a minimal effect on the drop time of the springs, but it is negligible in most cases. The force of air resistance is proportional to the velocity of the object, so it will have a greater impact on faster-moving objects rather than the relatively slow-moving springs.
The length of the spring does not have a significant effect on its drop time. As long as the spring is released at the same height and has the same mass and stiffness, its length will not affect the rate at which it drops.