Problem 1.

14 [Difficulty: 4]

2
N⋅ s
Given: Data on sky diver: M = 70⋅ kg k = 0.25⋅
2
m
Find: Maximum speed; speed after 100 m; plot speed as function of time and distance.

Solution: Use given data; integrate equation of motion by separating variables.

Treat the sky diver as a system; apply Newton's 2nd law:

dV 2
Newton's 2nd law for the sky diver (mass M) is (ignoring buoyancy effects): M⋅ = M⋅ g − k⋅ V (1)
dt

2 M⋅ g FD = kV2
(a) For terminal speed Vt, acceleration is zero, so M ⋅ g − k ⋅ V = 0 so Vt =
k
1
2
a = dV/dt
⎛ 2
N⋅ s ⎞
2
Vt = ⎜ 70⋅ kg × 9.81⋅ ×
m m m
⋅ Vt = 52.4
⎜ 2 2 kg × m s Mg
⎝ s 0.25⋅ N⋅ s ⎠

dV dV dy dV 2
(b) For V at y = 100 m we need to find V(y). From (1) M ⋅ = M⋅ ⋅ = M ⋅ V⋅ = M⋅ g − k⋅ V
dt dy dt dt

V
⌠ V ⌠
y
Separating variables and integrating: ⎮ dV = ⎮ g dy
⎮ 2 ⌡
⎮ k⋅ V 0
1−
⎮ M⋅ g
⌡
0
⎛ −
2⋅ k⋅ y ⎞
⎛ k⋅ V ⎞
2
2⋅ k M⋅ g ⎜
ln⎜ 1 −
2 M
so =− y or V = ⋅⎝1 − e ⎠
⎝ M ⋅ g ⎠ M k
1
2
⎛ −
2⋅ k⋅ y ⎞
⎜ M
Hence V( y ) = Vt⋅ ⎝ 1 − e ⎠
1
2
⎛ N⋅ s
2
1 kg⋅ m ⎞
⎜ − 2× 0.25⋅ × 100⋅ m× ×
m ⎜ m
2 70⋅ kg s 2⋅ N m
For y = 100 m: V( 100 ⋅ m) = 52.4⋅ ⋅ ⎝ 1 − e ⎠ V( 100 ⋅ m) = 37.4⋅
s s
 60

40

V(m/s)
20

0 100 200 300 400 500

y(m)

dV 2
(c) For V(t) we need to integrate (1) with respect to t: M⋅ = M⋅ g − k⋅ V
dt

V
⌠ V ⌠
t
Separating variables and integrating: ⎮ dV = ⎮ 1 dt
⎮ M⋅ g 2 ⌡
−V 0
⎮ k
⌡
0

⎛⎜ M⋅ g ⎞
+V
⎟ = 1 ⋅ M ⋅ ln⎛⎜ t
M ⎜ 1 k V +V ⎞
so t= ⋅ ⋅ ln
2 k⋅ g ⎜ M⋅ g ⎟ 2 k⋅ g ⎝ Vt − V ⎠
⎜⎝ −V
k ⎠

⎛ k⋅ g ⎞
⎜ 2⋅ M
⋅t

Rearranging V( t) = Vt⋅
⎝e − 1⎠
or V( t) = Vt⋅ tanh⎛⎜ Vt⋅ ⋅ t⎞
k
⎛ k⋅ g ⎞ ⎝ M ⎠
⎜ 2⋅ M
⋅t
⎝e + 1⎠

60

40
V(m/s)

V ( t)
20

0 5 10 15 20
t
t(s)

The two graphs can also be plotted in Excel.