Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 18

Explain how the change in the force of air resistance on a falling body causes it to eventually reach a terminal speed.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: Air resistance affects a falling body by opposing its motion and increasing with the object's speed. As the falling body's speed increases, the force of air resistance also increases until it balances out the gravitational force. When these forces are equal in magnitude, the net force is zero, and the object no longer accelerates, falling at a constant terminal speed. Factors like mass and drag coefficient also affect the terminal speed of a falling object.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the concept of air resistance

Air resistance is a type of force that occurs when an object moves through the air. It acts in the opposite direction of the object's motion and is dependent on the object's shape, size, and speed. As the speed of a falling body increases, the air resistance acting on it also increases.
02

Analyze the forces acting on a falling body

When an object is in free fall, there are two main forces acting on it: gravity and air resistance. Gravity pulls the object downwards, increasing its speed, while air resistance opposes the motion, trying to slow it down. The net force acting on the object is the difference between these two forces.
03

Introduce terminal speed

Terminal speed (or terminal velocity) is the constant speed that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the medium through which it is falling (air, in this case) prevents further acceleration. At this point, the force of air resistance equals the force of gravity, leading to a net force of zero and no further acceleration.
04

Explain the process of reaching terminal speed

As the falling body's speed increases, so does the force of air resistance acting on it. At some point, the air resistance force becomes large enough to balance out the gravitational force. When the two forces are equal in magnitude, the net force acting on the object becomes zero. This means that the object will no longer accelerate and will continue to fall at a constant speed, which is known as the terminal speed.
05

Factors affecting terminal speed

Terminal speed depends on various factors such as the mass of the object, the acceleration due to gravity, and the drag coefficient (which is related to the object's shape and size). In general, heavier objects and objects with a low drag coefficient will have a higher terminal speed, whereas lighter objects and objects with a high drag coefficient will have a lower terminal speed.
06

Summing it up

In conclusion, the change in the force of air resistance on a falling body causes it to eventually reach a terminal speed because as the object falls, the increasing air resistance force becomes equal to the gravitational force acting on it. The balance between these forces results in zero net force, preventing further acceleration, and causing the object to fall at a constant terminal speed.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

An archer aims an arrow exactly horizontal over a flat field and shoots it. At the same instant, the archer's watchband breaks and the watch falls to the ground. Does the watch hit the ground before, at the same time as, or after the arrow hits the ground? Defend your answer.

A person places a hand on a closed book resting on a table, and then presses downward while pushing outward. Either the book slides across the table or the hand slides across the book. What determines which of these happens? Which type(s) of friction is (are) involved?

Single-engine airplanes usually have their propeller at the front. Boats and ships usually have their propeller(s) at the rear. From the perspective of Newton's second law of motion, is this significant?

What is weight? Under what circumstances might something be weightless?

The Sun exerts much larger forces on the Earth and its oceans than the Moon does, yet the tides caused by the Sun are much lower than those caused by the Moon. Why?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Force

Read Explanation

Magnetism

Read Explanation

Particle Model of Matter

Read Explanation

Quantum Physics

Read Explanation

Oscillations

Read Explanation

Physics of Motion

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free