alleryStart learning →How does the drag force on a moving object depend on its speed?
AIt is proportional to the speed
BIt is independent of the speed
CIt falls as the speed increases
DIt goes as the square of the speed
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. It goes as the square of the speed
1. Drag is the resistance a fluid such as air offers to an object moving through it.
2. Experiment shows the drag force goes as the square of the object's speed.
3. So doubling the speed multiplies the drag force by four, not by two.
4. This steep rise is what allows drag to catch up with weight and cap a falling speed.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Further Applications of Newton's Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity", section Drag Force_
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