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A skydiver reaches terminal velocity. What is true of the forces on them?
ADrag now equals the weight
BDrag now exceeds the weight
CWeight has fallen to zero
DDrag has fallen to zero
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Drag now equals the weight
1. Weight stays constant as the skydiver falls, whatever their speed.
2. Drag grows with speed, so it climbs as the fall goes on.
3. Terminal velocity is reached when the drag force has grown to equal the gravitational force.
4. The two then cancel, leaving a net force of 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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