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A spring-powered dart gun fires darts straight downward towards the earth from t

ID: 2096149 • Letter: A

Question

A spring-powered dart gun fires darts straight downward towards the earth from the same height each time. First it fires a regular dart, then a dart with twice the mass. Which dart takes the less time to reach the ground after exiting the gun? The regular one, heavier one? Please explain! Thank you!
A spring-powered dart gun fires darts straight downward towards the earth from the same height each time. First it fires a regular dart, then a dart with twice the mass. Which dart takes the less time to reach the ground after exiting the gun? The regular one, heavier one? Please explain! Thank you!

Explanation / Answer

use the equation work done by spring = force x d, convert the f into ma, solve for a, the heavier mass would have a lower acceleration since the energy from the spring is being divided by the heavier mass. So the regular dart will take less time to reach the ground