Terminal Velocity

• Explain how this skydiver reaches terminal velocity?

  The sky diver accelerates due to gravity. The sky diver experiences frictional forces from air resistance but continues to accelerate as his weight is greater than the resistive forces. The speed and resistive forces increase so the sky diver acceleration decreases. The resistive forces are now the same as his weight so the resultant force is zero and he reaches terminal velocity

  
• What happens when an object falls through a fluid?

  The object accelerates due to the force of gravity . As it speeds up, the resistive forces increase. The resultant force reaches zero when the resistive forces balance the force of gravity. The object then falls at a steady speed , called its terminal velocity
• Near the Earth's surface, what is the acceleration due to gravity equal to?

  10 m/s ²
• What is the most common example of terminal velocity being reached?

  A sky diver
• Explain why a skydiver opens their parachute after reaching terminal velocity?

  The velocity is extremely great so the skydiver would die
• Describe what happens after a skydiver reaches terminal velocity?

  The skydiver opens his parachute , which causes the air resistance to increase massively . The air resistance becomes greater than the skydivers weight so there is a resultant force acting upwards which causes the skydivers to decelerate. The decrease in velocity causes a decrease in air resistance. The air resistance will balance the weight and the resultant force will be zero. The skydiver will fall at a lower terminal velocity and can safely land