P2.1.

4Forces&Terminalvelocity

Fallingandterminalvelocity

Justafterjumping...

drag
force

Thejumper'sdownwardsvelocityisquite
small
small
small
Therewillbeasmalldragforce.
weight
largeresultantforce force
Therewillthereforebealarge
downwards.

accelerate
Thejumperwillacceleratedownwards

 Thejumper'sdownwardsvelocityhas
increased
increased

drag
force

Thedragforcehasincreaseduntilitis
equalinsizetotheweightforce,butactingin
equal
theoppositedirection.
opposite
Thereisnolongeraresultantforceinany
resultantforce
direction.
accelerate
Thejumperwillnolongeracceleratebut
willcontinuefallingwithacconstant
onstant
velocity(terminalvelocity)

weight
force

The'chutehasopened .
(whew!)

massive
drag
force

Thedragforceisnowmassive.
Thereisaresultantforceupwards.
resultantforce
Thejumperwilldecelerate
decelerate
strongly

weight
force

Theparachutehassloweddownuntil
thedragforcehasbecomethesame
sizeastheweightforce.

drag
force

Thereisnolongeraresultantforce.
Theparachutistfallsatanew,
survivableterminalvelocity.
weight
force

Avelocity/timegraphforaparachutejump
Touchdown!
Crowdgoeswild!

velocity
Ju

p!

'chuteopens

Time

Nodragforce

Nothrustforce

stationary
Small
dragforce

Maximum
thrustforce

large
acceleration

Thereisaresultant
forcetotheright

Maximum
dragforce

Maximum
thrustforce

maximumspeed
(noacceleration)
Dragand
brakingforce
Thereisaresultant
forcetotheleft

Nothrust
force

massivedeceleration

At0m/sthedragandbrakeforcesdroptozero

Atfullthrottletheforwardthrustsuppliedby
Commonerror:
theengine/wheelsismaximum.
Manypeoplethink
Thereisaresultantforceacceleratingthecar. thatthecaris
stationarywhenthe
Asthecargetsfaster,thedragforceincreases. thrustanddrag
forcesarebalanced.
Thismeansthattheresultantforwardsforce
Thisisnonsense!
decreases.
Ifthecarwas
Eventually,thedragforceisequaland
stationarythere
oppositetothethrustforce.
wouldbenodrag
Thetwoforcescancelout,andthereisno
force!
resultantforce.
Thecarthereforecontinuesatmaximumspeed.

Aformulaforweight

Mass,inkg,isameasureofhow
muchsubstanceanobjecthas.

Weightisaforce,measureditnewtons(N).Thisforceis
createdbygravityworkingonmass.
So....

10N/kgon
thisplanet

Weight=MassxGravitationalfieldstrength
OR
Fromtheactual
datasheet

Mars,gravitationalfield
strength=3.7N/kg

Earth,gravitationalfield
strength=10N/kg

OnMarsyoucould
jumpthreetimes
higher
EdgarRice
Burroughsmight
haveexaggerated
(abit)

GravitationalfieldstrengthonEarth

=10N/kg(ie,1g)

Gravitationalfieldstrengthonthemoon

=1.6N/kg(ie,1/6thg)

Calculatetheweightofa50kgperson:
onEarth

w = mg = 50kg x 10N/kg
= 500N

onthemoon

w = mg = 50kg x 1.6N/kg
= 80N