Heavier object does in fact fall faster than lighter object

[utilitarian]

that is interesting, i read something about that yesterday. here is what i am doing. take a pvc pipe as the medium, cut into 3 or 4 different exact lengths. leave one hollow, and fill the other 3 with different material, i am using jb weld, liquid nail and a metal rod in the last. each one rolls down any incline at different speeds. I also did this with a brass ball the same identical size of a lighter ball, .... i have done with alot of different things, same result, the heavier one always wins.

the way i understood gallileo was he was watching how far the rolled, i was unable to find any where that he "raced" them. i could be wrong but in my expirements, on a slight incline, the heavier one always wins.?!!

i cut and pasted this from  http://www.batesville.k12.in.us/physics/PhyNet/Mechanics/RotMechanics/fall_slide_roll.htm

If you "race" these objects down the incline, they would definitely not tie! This is because Newton's Second Law for Rotation says that the rotational acceleration of an object equals the net torque on the object divided by its rotational inertia. (Net torque replaces net force, and rotational inertia replaces mass in "regular" Newton's Second Law.) The net torque on every object would be the same - due to the weight of the object acting through its center of gravity, but the rotational inertias are different. This means that the solid sphere would beat the solid cylinder (since it has a smaller rotational inertia), the solid cylinder would beat the "sloshy" cylinder, etc. The hoop would come in last in every race, since it has the greatest moment of inertia (resistance to rotational acceleration).

I think you are correct about the weight distribution thing.  That can affect rolling.  But different solid spheres should get to the end at the same time.

[dirt diggler]

that is interesting, i read something about that yesterday. here is what i am doing. take a pvc pipe as the medium, cut into 3 or 4 different exact lengths. leave one hollow, and fill the other 3 with different material, i am using jb weld, liquid nail and a metal rod in the last. each one rolls down any incline at different speeds. I also did this with a brass ball the same identical size of a lighter ball, .... i have done with alot of different things, same result, the heavier one always wins.

the way i understood gallileo was he was watching how far the rolled, i was unable to find any where that he "raced" them. i could be wrong but in my expirements, on a slight incline, the heavier one always wins.?!!

i cut and pasted this from  http://www.batesville.k12.in.us/physics/PhyNet/Mechanics/RotMechanics/fall_slide_roll.htm

If you "race" these objects down the incline, they would definitely not tie! This is because Newton's Second Law for Rotation says that the rotational acceleration of an object equals the net torque on the object divided by its rotational inertia. (Net torque replaces net force, and rotational inertia replaces mass in "regular" Newton's Second Law.) The net torque on every object would be the same - due to the weight of the object acting through its center of gravity, but the rotational inertias are different. This means that the solid sphere would beat the solid cylinder (since it has a smaller rotational inertia), the solid cylinder would beat the "sloshy" cylinder, etc. The hoop would come in last in every race, since it has the greatest moment of inertia (resistance to rotational acceleration).

I think you are correct about the weight distribution thing.  That can affect rolling.  But different solid spheres should get to the end at the same time.

Hmmmmm,  I could be wrong-I have been before, but I thought this was only true in a vacuum, because once air resistance is factored in the heavier should be less affected?

[bigface]

It is well known that different masses can roll down an incline slower or faster, this is due to how how the mass is distributed in each shape.  Different shapes have different moments of inertia

[Koen1]

Yes, but didn't Galileo measure the time identically shaped and sized objects
of different weight rolled down the same ramp?
That's the Galileo experiment we replicated in high school, and the one I recall from my
history lessons.
The point was that two equal sized balls of different weight still fall equally fast.
And a variation of the same experiment shows that two identical masses of
different shape and/or size, such as for example a ball of lead and a leaf of paper
both weiging in at one kilogram do experience different air resistance and mass
distribution which causes their drop speed to differ.
Right?

So if that "law" holds, two identically sized and shaped cylinders with identical
relative mass distribution should also fall (and also roll?) at the same speed,
because they experience an identical acceleration due to identical gravity effects.
And if the weight as wel as size and shape of the cylinders is identical, but
the distribution of mass over this body is different in one of the cylinders, they
will indeed roll down a ramp or fall at different speeds.
And of course in rolling down a ramp the surface friction comes into play as well,
whereas a falling object only experiences air friction which is much lower.

That said, if you have a setup that appears to be able to self-run somehow,
and it is based on your different mass cylinder idea, then I'd certainly like to
hear some more about it. sounds potentially interesting.

[konduct]

I can tell you what I know about mass and speed from my childhood days.  When I was a little kid, I was in cub scouts and my best friend's dad was the scout leader or whatever. When it came time for the pine derby, my friend always won. (The pine derby was a race down a curved ramp with small unpowered pine wood toy cars about 6-7 inches long. Why did he always win? His dad showed me. It was mostly graphite for friction on the wheels and as much lead weight as possible to still be "legal" weight. Of course, the less wood for the body there was, the less air friction and the more weight available for more lead weight.

The only force the cars used was gravity. (Another unidirectional force similar to CF? Gravity isn't adjustable however.) The point is the heaviest / aerodynamic car always wins. Maybe fat kids win those box car derbies more than skinny kids?