The pound of feathers is heavier. Feathers are weighed with avoirdupois pounds; gold is weighed with Troy pounds = 144/175 avoirdupois pounds. Dontcha just love traditional systems of weights and measures? :_>
This kind of thing reminds me of a cynical speculation a friend and I once had that if McDonalds were to introduce a 5 oz. burger they'd sell more of them by advertising them as the "Lite Fiver for those who can't eat a whole Quarter Pounder".
If they have the same mass, then it depends on the gravity to which each is subjected. Weight is a force and therefor dependent on gravity. Mass is independent of gravity. Tom
An avoirdupois ounce(ie- feathers, commodities) = 28.350 grams. A troy ounce(ie- gold, jewels) = 31.103 grams. An apothecaries' ounce(ie- drugs) = 31.103 grams.
How about ! Put both in a plastic ziplock bag, squeeze the air out, and drop both at the same time from a height of 100 feet. What will happen? My prediction: Gold will land second, because of smaller volume. When both projectiles reach terminal velocity, their speed will be slightly different due to air friction, around the ziplock bag. The pound of feathers might "fill" the ziplock bag better, making a rounder shape, less air resistance. The pound of gold, being quite small, even with the air taken out, will flop around creating drag. My guess is the gold will arrive 1/4 of a second after the feathers over 100 feet. If dropped from 30,000 feet, terminal velocity of both objects will act for a longer period of time, both packages will arrive many seconds apart. Dropping the same objects on the moon, no matter the distance, both arrive at the same time since terminal velocity won't come into play.
But that doesn't answer the OP's question. All that does is demonstrate that gravity accelerates all objects equally, regardless of weight. Tom
So far I like krelborne answer the best, which would mean feathers. One £ buys precious little Au (79) these days. Bird feathers are probably so cheap you could use it for insulation, great cash down on a house. Hyo must be getting a kick out of these posts.
Yes, I am. This is one of my favourite questions. It serves both to illustrate the absurdity of archaic systems of weights and measures, and to reveal a little something of how people think. I start with the ounce, having to explain that 'yes, it's a trick question, but there really is a correct answer. And it's not that they're both the same.' After going through the Avoirdupois and Troy difference, and letting that almost sink in, I ask about a pound of feathers and a pound of gold. 'Oh no, you're not fooling me again with that trick.'
One pound of feathers = 456.48 grams (16 ounces) One pound of gold = 373.236 grams (12 T ounces) Thanks to Pri4us for the gram :thumb:
