Terminal velocity Flashcards

1
Q

What is terminal velocity?

A
  • The maximum speed reached by an object as it falls through a fluid
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2
Q

How is terminal velocity reached?

A
  • As an object falls in air, there are two forces acting on it: weight (downwards) and air resistance (upwards)
  • As the object starts to fall, its air resistance is very low as the object is falling slowly
  • As the velocity of the object increases, so does the air resistance until it is equal to the weight of the object
  • At this point, the air resistance is equal and opposite to the weight of the object, meaning the resultant force is 0
  • This means that no further acceleration happens and the object has reached its terminal velocity
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3
Q

What is the air resitance on an object dependent on?

A
  • The objects surface area and velocity
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