Ask a Physicist: Which Falls Faster, a Brick or an Elephant?

Last week, reader James from Melbourne wrote in: I was having a discussion with a colleague about what would hit the ground first if it fell from a plane (let's say 15,000 ft). An elephant (let's say African) or a standard brick. Curious to know your thoughts. Thanks! Hi James,As I'm sure you know, in a vacuum they'd take the same amount of time to fall...but air resistance changes the game.The amount of deceleration caused by the air you encounter as you fall depends on three main things: your ...