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Falling (mander.xyz)

submitted 3 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 months ago

So why does the bowling ball fall faster in a vacuum? Does it appear faster locally because the heavier object makes local time slower than the lighter object compared to a distant observer? I'm trying to understand what the meme is getting at.

[-] Tja@programming.dev 6 points 3 months ago

That's the neat thing: it doesn't

[-] Drewfro66@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 3 months ago

The bowling ball also pulls the earth towards itself. This amount is imperceptibly small but still there

[-] hddsx@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

I’m trying to understand as well.

[-] dev_null@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 months ago

Because it, ever so slightly, pulls Earth towards it with it's own, miniscule gravity.

[-] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 months ago

But that doesn't make the bowling ball fall faster to a distant observer, just the earth fall twords the ball. To an observer on earth it would appear to fall faster though.