Concept explainers
How does the weight of a falling body compare with the air resistance it encounters just before it reaches terminal velocity? Just after it reaches terminal velocity?
To Compare: The weight of falling body with air resistance just before the terminal velocity.
Explanation of Solution
Introduction:
The gravitational force applied by the earth on any object is generally known as weight of an object. The direction of weight of falling object is towards the center of Earth.
The magnate of gravitational force applied by earth is:
Where,
The terminal velocity is defined as it is the highest velocity of object that could be attained by the object during the fall in air.
When object falls from some height, then it experiences a drag force. The magnitude of drag force is is directly proportional to the square of velocity. The formula of drag force is,
Where,
When body is in air then gravitational force acts on it in downward direction. The body accelerates under this force with approximately constant acceleration
As the air resistance increases with increase of velocity during fall, a point is reached when the air resistance and gravitational force becomes equal and opposite in direction. At this point, the net force on the body is zero and then velocity becomes constant. This velocity is also called terminal velocity.
Thus, just before the terminal velocity of body its weight is always greater than the air resistance and just after the terminal velocity, the weight of body is equal to air resistance.
Conclusion:
The weight of body will become equal to the air resistance when it reaches to terminal velocity.
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Conceptual Physics: The High School Physics Program
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