Acting on a Skydiver (T)

• What is the only force acting on a skydiver immediately after they jump out of the plane?

  Weight
• Why does the skydiver accelerate towards the ground after jumping?

  Because of the resultant force acting downwards due to weight
• What force opposes the motion of the skydiver as they fall?

  Air resistance
• How does the relationship between weight and air resistance change as the skydiver falls?

  Weight is greater than air resistance initially, but they balance at terminal velocity.
• What happens when the air resistance balances the weight of the skydiver?

  • The resultant force is zero
  • The velocity stays constant
  • The skydiver reaches terminal velocity
• What occurs when the skydiver opens their parachute?

  Air resistance massively increases
• What effect does the increased surface area of the parachute have on the skydiver?

  It causes air resistance to increase, resulting in an upward force.
• What happens to the skydiver's velocity after opening the parachute?

  The skydiver decelerates, resulting in a decrease in velocity.
• What occurs when the air resistance decreases after the skydiver has opened the parachute?

  • The air resistance will eventually balance the weight again
  • The resultant force will be zero
  • The skydiver will fall at a lower terminal velocity
• What is the final state of the skydiver before landing?

  Falling at a lower terminal velocity
• How can the journey of a skydiver be represented graphically?

  • On a velocity-time graph
  • The graph shows changes in velocity over time
• Why is it important to learn about the forces acting on a skydiver?

  Because it is a common exam topic