Do Heavy Objects Fall Faster? {Science Experiment}

Do heavy objects fall faster than light objects? Here’s a fun science experiment that kids can conduct to find out!

This is such a fun experiment because kids will be surprised and impressed with the results.

I would recommend this science experiment for 1st grade through middle school. Young kids are more likely to be surprised by the results, which is always fun because they will really remember the lesson. However, kids in 5th – 7th grades will understand the concepts in more depth.

Supplies Needed:

• Objects to drop
• A chair
• At least 2 sheets of paper
• Printable recording page

In this experiment, we’re going to explore the question, “Do heavy objects fall faster than light objects?” Or in more scientific terms, do objects with a greater mass fall faster than objects with less mass.

The answer is actually no!

But wait! We all know that a feather will float to the ground, but a rock will drop quickly. How can it be true that heavy objects and light objects fall at the same speed if we can observe an object with less mass fall more slowly?

It’s all about air resistance.

In a vacuum, every object falls with exactly the same acceleration. The earth exerts more pull on an object with more mass, but the force required to overcome inertia on that same object balances it out. So all objects accelerate the same due to gravity no matter their mass.

However, in the presence of air, objects experience an upward force as the air resists their fall. This affects objects with less mass and more surface area the most. That’s why parachutes are so effective!

That’s the science explanation. Now let’s try the experiment!

Collect several items to drop. Some suggestions: a button, a rock, a paperclip, a pom pom ball or cotton ball, a marble, a coin, a feather, etc. Anything that you can safely drop will work! Make sure you have a variety of heavy and light items.

Have a student stand on a chair and hold out two items to drop.

The chair is not essential, but it gives the objects a longer time in the air before they hit the ground, which helps convince students of the validity of the experiment. This is especially true with younger students who are so close to the ground anyway!

I created a recording sheet for this science experiment. You can print ours, or kids can easily create their own chart.

Have your students compare sets of two objects and record which one lands first.

Most objects will land at exactly the same time. Even a pom pom ball, as light as it was, landed at the same time as dice.

A feather, however, fell much more slowly than any other object.

One key to understanding this experiment is to compare a sheet of paper with a wadded up sheet of paper. Why? Because both sheets of paper have the same mass. The wadded paper will hit the ground first, but the reason is not the mass. It’s the shape. The unfolded sheet of paper has much more surface area and experiences much more air resistance.

Print the Science Experiment Recording Sheet

The file has two pages with two options. One page has the steps of the scientific method, and the other (the one pictured) is simpler for younger students. Print both, or just the one you need!

Click Here: Do Heavy Objects Fall Faster Recording Sheet

Need more science experiments? Here’s a whole collection of physics science experiments for kids!