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The bowling ball isn’t falling to the earth faster. The higher perceived acceleration is due to the earth falling toward the bowling ball.

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    Bowling ball. Because wind resistance is a thing and the feather has higher surface area creating more drag, and there’s no such thing as a perfect vacuum.

    • BB84@mander.xyzOP
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      11 days ago

      A feather has smaller cross-section area than a bowling ball. But drag acceleration is proportional to the cross-section area divided by the mass (and this quantity is indeed smaller for the bowling ball).

      Anyway the hypothetical scenario in this meme is a perfect vacuum. Check my other comments to see why it still works.

      • aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social
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        11 days ago

        A feather has smaller surface area than a bowling ball.

        Depends on the feather and the bowling ball. Even relatively small (by volume) feathers might outdo a bowling ball thanks to the numerous fine shapes they have.

        • BB84@mander.xyzOP
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          11 days ago

          I meant cross-section area, not surface area. Sorry. Edited my comment above.

          • aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social
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            11 days ago

            An average bowling ball is 8.5 inches in diameter, giving it a cross sectional surface area of roughly 60 sq in. Restricting ourselves to feathers made by non-human animals, the longest feather measured was on a Yokohama chicken at 34 feet / 400+ inches. I can’t find the width of the feather, but it’s still likely it outdoes an average bowling ball.

            • BB84@mander.xyzOP
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              11 days ago

              That is one very impressive feather.

              Restricting ourselves to feathers made by non-human animals

              🤔🤔🤔