AIIMS 2002 Physics Free Fall MCQ Question
Three different objects m₁, m₂ and m₃ are allowed to fall from rest and from the same point O along three different frictionless paths. The speeds of the three objects, on reaching the ground, will be in the ratio of
m₁ : m₂ : m₃
1 : 1 : 1
m₁ : 2m₂ : 3m₃
1/m₁ : 1/m₂ : 1/m₃
Correct Answer
Detailed Explanation
When objects fall from the same height under the influence of gravity, the speed they attain just before hitting the ground depends only on the height from which they fall and the acceleration due to gravity. Since all three objects are falling from the same height and are subject to the same gravitational acceleration, their speeds will be equal regardless of their masses. Therefore, the speeds of the three objects will be in the ratio 1:1:1. This makes option B the correct answer.
For the other options:
- Option A (m₁ : m₂ : m₃) suggests that the speeds depend on the masses, which is incorrect.
- Option C (m₁ : 2m₂ : 3m₃) also incorrectly relates speed to mass.
- Option D (1/m₁ : 1/m₂ : 1/m₃) implies that speed is inversely proportional to mass, which is not true in this context.
Thus, the correct answer is B: 1 : 1 : 1.
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