In the absence of air friction, the acceleration experienced by an object in free fall near the surface of the Earth is due to the force of gravity and is approximately constant. This acceleration is denoted as "g" and is approximately equal to 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s²).
When both the feather and the stone are dropped from the same height with the same initial horizontal velocity, they will experience the same acceleration due to gravity. However, their masses will be different. The stone is much more massive than the feather.
According to Newton's second law of motion, the force acting on an object is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration. F = m * a. Therefore, the force acting on the stone is greater than the force acting on the feather because the stone has a greater mass.
Since the forces acting on the stone and the feather are different, their accelerations will be the same, but their masses will cause the forces to be different. The stone will experience a greater force due to its greater mass, leading to a greater downward acceleration. The feather, being less massive, will experience a smaller force and hence a smaller downward acceleration.
As a result, the stone will fall faster than the feather. This is because the greater force acting on the stone accelerates it more rapidly, allowing it to cover more distance in the same amount of time compared to the feather. It's important to note that this explanation assumes the absence of air resistance, as air resistance would significantly affect the falling speed of the feather due to its larger surface area and light weight.