Terminal Velocity Calculation: Air Density & Drag Coefficent

[Energize]

Not a homework question as such, but I thought this was the best place to put it.

I'm trying to work out the terminal velocity of a falling object, say myself (57kg) at 1000m, I have the equation from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_velocity but have no idea what the drag coefficent is or the density of air at that altitude. Does anyone know what these values are?

 

[nicktacik]

Here are some typical values

http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~vawter/PhysicsNet/Topics/Dynamics/Forces/DragCoeficientValues.html

 

[m2003]

I can provide some information to help you calculate the terminal velocity of a falling object. The terminal velocity is the maximum velocity that an object can reach when falling through a fluid, such as air. It is determined by the balance between the force of gravity pulling the object down and the drag force of the air pushing against the object.

In order to calculate the terminal velocity, you will need to know the mass of the object (in this case, yourself at 57kg) and the cross-sectional area of the object. The cross-sectional area is the surface area of the object that is facing the direction of motion. For a human body, this can be approximated by the body's height and width.

The drag coefficient, denoted by the symbol "Cd", is a dimensionless quantity that represents the object's shape and how it interacts with the fluid. It is different for every object and can be found experimentally or through simulations. For a human body, the drag coefficient can range from 0.5 to 1.2, depending on factors such as posture and clothing.

The air density at a certain altitude can be found using the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) model, which provides a standard profile of air density at different altitudes. At 1000m, the air density is approximately 1.11 kg/m^3.

Once you have all these values, you can use the equation for terminal velocity to calculate the approximate velocity at which you will reach terminal velocity. Keep in mind that this is an approximation and may not be accurate due to variations in factors such as air density and wind.

In conclusion, the terminal velocity of a falling object can be calculated using the equation that you found, but it requires knowing the object's mass, cross-sectional area, drag coefficient, and air density. I hope this helps in your calculations.