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NewGuy

Weights

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Actually weights do make you fall faster, that is the purpose. According to Newton all objects fall at exactly the same rate. This is true in a vacuum, but not in the atmosphere. A feather will not hit the ground at the same time as a bowling ball dropped from the same height due to its drag coefficient. The bowling ball is heavy and slick so it overcomes air resistance easily and falls fast. The feather is very light and catches a lot of air so it drifts down slowly. This is the same thing as in freefall only exaggerated. A small heavy person will fall very fast, where a light tall person will fall very slow. This is the purpose of bigger guys wearing bigger, draggier jump suits; to increase their wind resistance and decrease fall rate. However light people sometimes cannot arch hard enough to keep up with the big guys even in slick jumpsuits so you need more help from gravity with weights to increase your fall rate. Sorry the post is so long, but I hope my explanation as to the purpose of weights helps.
If you would like to explore more specifics about this here is a school website I found that actually discusses the effect of different mass/weight and air resistance on a skydiver in freefall and under canopy. Check out the animation. I think this teacher or who ever wrote this was probably a skydiver.
http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/newtlaws/u2l3e.html
Blue Skies,
Adam

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Hmmm. This means that size and weight don't matter sub-terminal. Make that first point quickly, boys and girls!
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"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity."
--Albert Einstien

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