So in other words: Saying that two objects of different mass will fall toward the earth at the same speed is not EXACTLY true, but it is close enough to true that it can be assumed for most purposes.No, it is exactly true.
If it's just you and me, the only way to measure your "speed" is relative to me, which is the rate at which the distance between us is changing.No, this is a misapplication of a flawed English interpretation of the scientific theory of relativity to this question.
while the rate at which the distance between them was decreasing by 65 MPHI mean, "while the distance between them was decreasing by 65 MPH".
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The earth is "falling" around the sun, not to towards the dropped objects. The dropped objects are being attracted to the earth through gravity and falling into it. The earth is not moving up towards it. The earth is too busy being pulled toward the sun. The sun's gravitational field is so powerful that those objects you are dropping are also being pulling to the sun. They are not pulling the earth up to it. Their gravitational fields have been canceled out by the larger two objects: the sun and the earth.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:39 AM on January 17