Terminal velocity Flashcards
Why is friction there ?
To slow things down.
If an object has no force propelling it along it will always slow down and stop why ?
Because of friction.
Friction always acts in the opposite direction to what ?
Movement.
The driving force needs to balance the frictional forces in order to ?
Travel at a steady speed.
When does friction occur ?
I t occurs between two surfaces in contact, or when an object passes through a liquid.
Drag increases as what increases ?
Speed.
What is the resistance you get in a fluid?
Drag
What is another type of drag ?
Air resistance
How do you reduce drag ?
Keep the shape of the object streamlined.
Objects falling through fluids reach a ?
terminal velocity.
How does an objects upthrust falling though a fluid reach a terminal velocity?
When a falling object first sets off, the force of gravity is much more than the frictional force sloshing it down, so it accelerates. As the speed increases the friction builds up. This gradually reduces the acceleration until eventually the frictional force is equal to the accelerating force ( so the force is zero) . It will have reached its maximum speed or terminal velocity and will fall at a steady speed.
What does Terminal velocity depend on ?
Terminal velocity depends on shape and Area.
The accelerating force acting on all falling objects is gravity and it would make them all fall at the same rate if it wasn’t for ?
Air resistance
What does air resistance do ?
Air resistance causes things to fall at different speeds.
What is the terminal velocity of an object determined by ?
It is determined by its drag in comparison to its weight.
