A mountainside is blown up and rocks of all different sizes are launched into the air. They will all travel at different distances due to their masses, but ultimately all of the ro... A mountainside is blown up and rocks of all different sizes are launched into the air. They will all travel at different distances due to their masses, but ultimately all of the rocks will end up on the ground. Why is this?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking why all rocks, after being launched into the air from an explosion, will ultimately return to the ground regardless of their initial distances traveled. It implies a need to understand the forces acting on the rocks, specifically gravity.
Answer
Gravity acts on the rocks until they hit the ground.
The moment the rocks are launched into air, there is an unbalanced force of gravity acting on them. That force continually acts on the rocks until they stop moving when they hit ground and the forces are balanced again.
Answer for screen readers
The moment the rocks are launched into air, there is an unbalanced force of gravity acting on them. That force continually acts on the rocks until they stop moving when they hit ground and the forces are balanced again.
More Information
Regardless of shape or mass, gravity will cause the rocks to eventually fall back to Earth. This is an application of Newton's laws of motion.
Tips
A common mistake is ignoring the role of gravity as a constant force acting on objects in motion.
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