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Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
Sorry, Andy, but terminal velocity also depends on density. A lead-filled sphere will have a higher terminal velocity than an air-filled one. Try dropping a ping-pong ball and a rubber ball of the same size -- the ping-pong ball reaches terminal velocity very quickly, but the rubber ball keeps accelerating and outpaces it.
The answer to the question is that air resistance matters when the two objects' densities are different. A heavier ball having the same size as a lighter one will hit the ground first, if you drop them from high enough for the lighter one to reach terminal velocity.
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Thanks, Alan... it is a good thing that I'm not designing airplanes!
I'm glad to be on the same team as smart people.
Andy B.