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The same skydiver instead falls in a spread eagle position, increasing frontal area. What does the source say happens to the terminal velocity?
AIt decreases to about 200 km/h
BIt increases to about 500 km/h
CIt stays exactly the same at 350 km/h
DIt drops all the way to zero
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. It decreases to about 200 km/h
1. Spreading out the body increases the frontal area facing the airflow.
2. A larger area increases drag at any given speed, so a lower speed is enough to balance the skydiver's weight.
3. Terminal velocity decreases to about 200 km/h in this spread eagle position.
4. That is a real drop from the headfirst value, not an increase, and not a drop all the way to zero.
_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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