The neighborhood joker comes up to you and is really on a roll this morning. After several "good ones" they then say "OK so you're taking physics, right? Here's one - if the acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s² then why isn't everything accelerating? HAHAHA". Being a dedicated student you give this question some real thought and come up with a reasonable response. You might say A) All things really do accelerate but we accelerate with them so we can't tell. B) Gravity acts only on things that are not touching a surface. C) Gravity is just part of the story and it is the total net external force that determines acceleration. D) Most objects have too much inertia for us to see them accelerate under the influence of gravity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gravity is indeed a constant force acting on objects, but the actual acceleration of an object depends on the net external force acting on it. This includes not just gravity, but also other forces like friction, air resistance, or normal force from surfaces that can counteract gravity's effect, leading to situations where objects do not appear to be accelerating.

The Neighborhood Joker Comes Up to You and Is Really