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A skydiver falling through the air reaches a point where the drag force equals the force of gravity on them. What term does the source use for the constant velocity reached at that point?
AEscape velocity
BTerminal velocity
CCritical velocity
DPeak velocity
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Terminal velocity
1. When drag exactly balances gravity, the net force on the skydiver is zero.
2. Zero net force means zero acceleration, so the velocity stops changing and becomes constant.
3. The source names this constant falling speed the terminal velocity.
4. Escape velocity, critical velocity, and peak velocity are not the terms used here for this situation.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Further Applications of Newton's Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity", section 5.2 Drag Forces_
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