Design and operation of an acrylic chamber feather in a vacuum experiment

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of air resistance on the descent of a feather, demonstrating the fundamental principles of free fall and gravitational acceleration. By conducting a series of experiments both inside and outside a DIY vacuum chamber, we aimed to replicate Galileo Galilei’s historic experiment and quantify the impact of air resistance on the feather’s fall time. The vacuum chamber, constructed from readily available materials, provided a controlled environment to minimize air resistance. Results show that the feather falls significantly faster inside the vacuum, with an average descent time of approximately 0.35 seconds having the coefficient of air resistance of 1.15 × 10⁻⁵ kg/s, compared to 0.56 seconds with 7.09 × 10⁻⁵ kg/s coefficient of air resistance outside the vacuum. These findings reinforce the classical mechanics principle that, in the absence of air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass. The experiment highlights the profound impact of air resistance on objects falling in air with different air densities, providing clear empirical evidence of the theoretical concepts underpinning gravitational acceleration and free fall. Also, one of the problems among high school physics classes is the lack of available equipment to help in explaining basic physics concept among learners. This DIY vacuum chamber is an easy to reproduce tool to help physics teachers explain free fall motion.