terminal velocity

• if an object has no force propelling it along it will always slow down and stop because of friction
• friction always acts in the opposite direction to movement.
• to travel at a steady speed, the driving force needs to balance to frictional force
• you get friction between two surfaces in contact, or when an object passes through a fluid
• drag is the resistance you get in a fluid. air resistance is a type of drag
• to reduce drag, keep the shape of the object streamlined. this is where the object is designed to allow fluid to flow easily across it, reducing drag. (pointy)
• frictional forces from fluids always increase with speed.
• when a falling object first sets off, the force of gravity is much more than the frictional force slowing it down, so it accelerates.
• as the speed increases, friction builds up. this gradually reduces the acceleration until eventually the frictional force is equal to the accelerating force, it will have reached the maximum speed and will fall at a steady rate
• the accelerating force on all falling objects is gravity
• air resistance (drag) causes things to fall at different speeds . terminal velocity depends on its drag in comparison to weight. frictional force depends on shape and area
• terminal velocity - how fast falling down