@Heath51: I am sure you are aware that the acceleration of a falling object has two components: a) The acceleration due to the gravitational pull of the earth on the object and b) The acceleration due to the gravitational pull of the object on the earth. Component a) is well known and constant but b) is proportional to the mass of the object. Yes, component b) was minute for the objects that Galileo dropped. Theoretically, had Galileo possessed fine instruments and wanted to verify Newton, he would have had to drop each object separately and measure the elapsed time because a 10 lb. ball and a 1 lb. ball dropped together would both fall at the speed of an 11 lb. ball, wouldn't they?.
- Heavy objects fall faster than lighter objects.
- Yes, Heath51, I believe in Galileo.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I see the other posts, sorry my response is late: This is neither gamesmanship nor baiting. The statement that all objects fall to earth at the same speed, even in a vacuum, is just plain FALSE. We do not measure the two components. I am amazed and disappointed that even legitimate physics texts, even written by legitimate physics professors, would state, without reservation, that speed of fall is independent of mass.