Debate over dinner: we read on Wikipedia that objects fall at the same speed towards Earth regardless of mass. Then we remember seeing on TV ages ago an astronaut dropping a feather and bowling ball on the moon, confirming the truth of this matter. However, the objects fell on the moon much slower than they did on Earth - clearly, mass somehow does affect how quickly things "fall," despite the apparent fact that bowling balls and feathers fall at the same speed. Why else would things fall slower on the moon other than it's smaller? They say gravity on Jupiter is such that it would crush us - Jupiter is huge.
My family is of the opinion that bowling balls and feathers fall at the same speed because those aren't planets. I argue that they must fall at miniscul, perhaps immeasurably smal, different speeds, because as Earth "pulls" in them, do they not also "pull" in Earth? My family believes there's some magic size where objects are "the thing that makes gravity" versus "the thing falling into gravity," and if you're small you fall at the same speed and that's just how it is. It seems too magical for my tastes. Surely not?
Is it truly so, that all objects regardless of mass fall towards Earth at the exact same speed? Is mass of the falling object somehow irrelevant, the only relevant mass is the big thing towards which they fall?
