Hammer – Feather Drop Experiment in Moon
What happens when hammer and feather are dropped simultaneously in earth? Which object will reach the ground first? Yes! Obviously, the hammer will touch the ground first. Can you guess, which object will reach the ground first, if the same experiment is done in moon? Think for a moment before answering to this question!
Let’s find out the answer and reason in this section. The answer to the above question is, the hammer and feather will touch the surface of the moon at the same time. Because, there is no air in moon.
Since the vacuum offers no resistance to the objects that fall down, the lighter and heavier objects (like feather and hammer) reach the ground at the same moment, when they are dropped simultaneously.
But in earth, the lighter objects like feather are resisted by the presence of air. It causes them to float and fall down slowly. Whereas, the heavier objects like hammer oppose the air resistance and reach the ground with higher acceleration.
NASA did this hammer-feather drop experiment in moon in 1971 during Apollo-15 lunar mission. Commander David Scott conducted it for televisions. Tap / click video link given below, to see NASA’s experiment in moon:
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