Chapter 6, Problem 16A

Does air resistance on a falling object increase or does it decrease with increasing speed?

To determine

Whether the air resistance on a falling object increases or decreases with increasing speed.

Answer to Problem 16A

Increases

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The air resistance acting on a falling object is given by,

  $\text{Air resistance force}\sim \text{speed}\times \text{frontal area}$

As can be seen from above formula, the air resistance force is directly proportional to the speed with which the object is falling.

Conclusion:

Hence, the air resistance on a falling object increases with increasing speed.