Should the dropped bullet really hit the ground first with air resistance? Let me draw two force diagrams for a dropped bullet and a fired bullet just a short moment after they are released.

When you drop a ball in the air, often the air resistance force is ignored. How high would you have to drop something so that the air resistance is significant?

Multiple forces act on an object at the same time. Find out more with BBC Bitesize. For students between the ages of 11 and 14.

close air resistanceA force that acts on an object which is moving through air. Air resistance acts in the opposite direction to the direction of movement, so it acts to slow down the moving object.