If two Identical packets are dropped from two airplanes, one above the equator and the other above the pole, both at height $h$ . (Assuming all conditions are identical),

Is it true that these packets will take the same time to reach the surface of the earth?

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True

False

answer is B.

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Detailed Solution

The above statement is false.
As we know, acceleration due to gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the radius of the earth. So, according to the conditions given in the question, these packets will take different times to reach the surface of the earth.
We know that

v = \sqrt{2 gh}

Where

v =

free fall velocity

g =

acceleration due to gravity

h =

height of free fall
At the poles, acceleration due to gravity is greater than at the equator due to the smaller radius of the earth. As a result, a packet dropped at the north pole from a height of h will move faster than the packet dropped at the equator.
The correct statement would be, the two packets will take different times to reach the surface of the earth.

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