Terminal velocity

A free-falling object achieves its terminal velocity when the downward force of gravity (Fg) equals the

upward force of drag (Fd). This causes the net force on the object to be zero, resulting in an acceleration

of zero.

As the object accelerates (usually downwards due to gravity), the drag force acting on the object

increases, causing the acceleration to decrease. At a particular speed, the drag force produced will equal

the object's weight (mg). At this point the object ceases to accelerate altogether and continues falling at a

constant speed called terminal velocity (also called settling velocity). Terminal velocity varies directly

with the ratio of weight to drag. More drag means a lower terminal velocity, while increased weight

means a higher terminal velocity. An object moving downward with greater than terminal velocity (for

example because it was affected by a downward force or it fell from a thinner part of the atmosphere or it

changed shape) will slow until it reaches terminal velocity.

Terminal Velocity Examples

When someone jumps out of a plane:

1. They start to accelerate towards the ground because of their weight force.
This means that they gain speed; they get faster.
2. Air resistance (the drag force) increases with speed: the faster something is going,
the more air resistance it has. The same is true of any friction. Therefore, the
faster the skydiver is going, the more air resistance he has.
3. This continues until the air resistance is so large that it balances the weight force.
The net force on the skydiver is zero, which means that he is no
longer accelerating.
4. He has therefore reached his terminal velocity, and will continue at this speed until
he opens his parachute.
SITUATION A:

WHY HEAVIER BALL REACHES TERMINAL VELOCITY FIRST?

The terminal velocity of a falling body occurs during free fall when a falling body experiences

zero acceleration. This is because of the retarding force known as air resistance. Air resistance

exists because air molecules collide into a falling body creating an upward force opposite

gravity. This upward force will eventually balance the falling body's weight. It will continue to

fall at constant velocity known as the terminal velocity.

The magnitude of terminal velocity depends on the weight of the falling body. For a heavy

object, the terminal velocity is generally greater than a light object. This is because air resistance

is proportional to the falling body's velocity squared. For an object to experience terminal

velocity, air resistance must balance weight. An example that shows this phenomenon was the

classic illustration of a rock and a feather being dropped simultaneously. In a vacuum with zero

air resistance, these two objects will experience the same acceleration. But on the earth this is not

true. Air resistance will equal weight more quickly for the feather than it would for the rock.

Thus the rock would accelerate longer and experience a terminal velocity greater than the

feather.
Another factor that affects terminal velocity is the orientation at which a body falls. If an object

falls with a larger surface area perpendicular to the direction of motion it will experience a

greater force and a smaller terminal velocity. On the other hand, if the object fell with a smaller

surface area perpendicular to the direction of motion, it will experience a smaller force and a

greater terminal velocity.

The terminal velocity for a skydiver was found to be in a range from 53 m/s to 76 m/s. Four out

of five sources stated a value between 53 m/s and 56 m/s. Principles of Physics stated a value of

76 m/s. This value differed significantly from the others. Then again, the value is variable since

the weight and the orientation of the falling body play significant roles in determining terminal

velocity.
SITUATION B:

THE BALLS REACH TERMINAL VELOCITY AT THE SAME TIME

SITUATION C:

THE HEAVIER BALL HITS THE GROUND FIRST

Since both balls are being accelerated at the same rate (see below), they will fall to the earth side

by side with equal velocities. This assumes that there is no air resistance, which is common in

introductory classes.

The free body diagram of each ball is given by:

where WEB is the weight force which the earth exerts on the bowling ball. It's magnitude is

given by the product of the mass of the bowling ball and the magnitude of the gravitational field

(g = 9.8 N/m). By Newton's Second Law this single force is equal to the product of the mass of

the bowling ball and the bowling ball's acceleration. Since the mass appears on both side of this

equality, the acceleration of each ball is equal in magnitude (and direction) to the gravitational

field (which is the same for both balls)

SITUATION D

THE BALLS HIT THE GROUND AT THE SAME TIME

On Earth , the two objects fall at different speeds, only because of the presence of "air"
resistance
If there is no air resistance --such as on the moon -- they would fall at the same rate
(acceleration).
The (attractive) force of gravity is dependent upon the mass of the object it is acting upon,
so the greater is an object's mass , the bigger is the attractive force upon it. However ,the force
required to accelerate an object increases with the mass of the object . So , although the
gravitational force on your heavier ball is greater than that of gravitational force on the lighter
ball, the the heavier ball has more mass , so it only accelerates at the same rate as the lighter ball.

The purpose of a parachute is to slow down your fall by increasing air resistance. The force
of air resistance increases with velocity.
Your velocity of descent increases until the increasing force of air resistance equals your weight.

So if you add more weight, the parachute plus weight have to fall faster than with a light
weight - a greater air resistance force is needed to equal the greater weight, which means the
velocity has to be greater to create the greater resistance.

If you did the experiment in a vacuum, there would be no air resistance. Everything would
fall at the same accelerating rate, because there would be no air resistance to counteract the force
of gravity.