FREE FALL AND AIR RESISTANCE So, we have:

Newton's second law= F= ma = m*dv/dt

Net force = weight + air resistance = mg – kv²
The differential equation would be:

4.SOLUTION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL

EQUATION BY SEPARATION OF
VARIABLES

First order differential

equation
17. For high-speed movements in the air, such
as that of the parachutist shown in Figure
1.3.15, who is falling before the parachute
opens, the air resistance is close to a power of
the instantaneous velocity v ( t ). Determine a
differential equation for the velocity v ( t ) of a It is multiplied by 1/mg in the
falling body of mass m , if the air resistance is numerator and denominator
proportional to the square of the instantaneous on the right side of the
velocity. equation

1.IDENTIFICATION OF THE
VARIABLES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
CHANGE THAT OCCURS IN THE
SYSTEM

DATA:
 Falling body with mass (m).
 Acceleration with which the body
falls
 The gravity Reducing terms
 Air resistance is proportional to
the square of the speed
Determine a differential equation for velocity
v(t)?

2.FORMULATION OF A SET OF
REASONABLE PREMISES OR
HYPOTHESES
In this problem the skydiver is falling towards Reducing terms
the ground, therefore, we can take it as a free
falling object.

 In which 2 forces act: weight = mg

where m is the mass of the body
and g is gravity, as the skydiver's
body is directed towards the
ground then the direction is
positive.
 We also have air resistance = - kv²
where k is a proportional constant
of air resistance and v² is the
instantaneous velocity which in this
Rewriting term
case is squared and is negative
because it is opposite to the fall of
the body. The sum of these 2 forces
will give us the net force = the
weight + the air resistance.
 Furthermore, the instantaneous
velocity is related to the
acceleration, we will use Newton's
second law F= ma where m is the
mass of the body and is the
acceleration and since a = dv/dt
then the formula would be F= m*
Therefore, the speed with respect to
dv/dt
time is:
3.REPRESENTATION OF THE
EQUATION By equating the net force in this
way with Newton's second law, a first-order
differential equation is obtained for the v(t) of
a body at time t.