Terminal velocity

Vocabulary – What is terminal velocity? Take the 3 steps and create

a free body diagram for
Retrieval – What force will increase when the parachute is opened. What will each stage to show what is
this do to the motion of the skydiver? happening to the forces
acting on the skydiver.
Understanding
1. When is terminal velocity reached?
2. A parachutist with a mass of 70kg is supported by a 20kg parachute.
Calculate:
a) The total weight of the parachutist and parachute
b) The size and direction of the force of air resistance when terminal
velocity is reached. (W = m x g)

Terminal velocity
Near the surface of the Earth, any object falling freely will have an
acceleration of about 9.8 metres per second squared (m/s2). Objects falling
through a fluid eventually reach terminal velocity. At terminal velocity, the
object moves at a steady speed in a constant direction because
the resultant force acting on it is zero. For example, a skydiver falling
spread-eagled through the air reaches a maximum speed of about 53 m/s.

Three stages of falling

There are three stages as an object falls through a fluid:

1. At the start, the object accelerates downwards due to the force of

gravity
2. As the object's speed increases, frictional forces such as air
resistance or drag increase
3. At terminal velocity, the weight of the object due to gravity is
balanced by the frictional forces, and the resultant force is zero
The weight of an object does not change as it falls, as long as it stays whole.

A skydiver

1. Immediately on leaving the aircraft, the skydiver accelerates

downwards due to the force of gravity. There is no air resistance
acting in the upwards direction, and there is a resultant force acting
downwards so the skydiver accelerates towards the ground.

2. As the skydiver gains speed, their weight stays the same but the air
resistance increases. There is still a resultant force acting downwards,
but this gradually decreases.
3. Eventually, the skydiver's weight is balanced by the air resistance.
There is no resultant force and the skydiver reaches terminal velocity.
When the parachute opens, the air resistance increases. The skydiver slows
down until a new, lower terminal velocity is reached.
 Terminal velocity
Note that the skydiver does not go upwards when the parachute opens.