Find velocity of a moment before terminal velocity is reached?

In summary, the sky diver of mass 69 kg jumps from a slowly moving aircraft and reaches her terminal velocity of 56 m/s. At the moment her velocity was only v1 = 39 m/s (directed vertically down), the magnitude of her acceleration was 5.0468 m/s2.
  • #1
trivk96
47
0

Homework Statement


Given g = 9.8 m/s
2
.
A sky diver of mass 69 kg jumps from a
slowly moving aircraft and eventually reachesher terminal velocity 56 m/s.
What was (the magnitude of) her acceleration at the moment her velocity was only
v1 = 39 m/s (directed vertically down)?
Answer in units of m/s2
I got the answer to this as 5.0468


Now consider the same sky diver jumping out
of a faster airplane. At some point before she
reaches her terminal velocity, she has velocity
~v2 of magnitude 34.2 m/s in the direction 56◦
below hirizontal.
What is the magnitude of the sky diver’s
acceleration at that point in time?
Answer in units of m/s2

i have no idea how to do this one. Can someone show me how or point me in the right direction

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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  • #2
trivk96 said:

Homework Statement


Given g = 9.8 m/s
2
.
Is there something missing here ↑↑↑ perhaps due to mis-editing?
A sky diver of mass 69 kg jumps from a
slowly moving aircraft and eventually reachesher terminal velocity 56 m/s.
What was (the magnitude of) her acceleration at the moment her velocity was only
v1 = 39 m/s (directed vertically down)?
Answer in units of m/s2
I got the answer to this as 5.0468
Can you show your working so we can see how you did it? I don't get that answer.
 

1. What is terminal velocity?

Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity that an object can reach when falling through a fluid, such as air or water. At this point, the forces of gravity and air resistance are balanced, resulting in a constant velocity.

2. How is terminal velocity calculated?

The terminal velocity of an object can be calculated using the equation v = √(2mg/ρAC), where v is the terminal velocity, m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, ρ is the density of the fluid, A is the cross-sectional area of the object, and C is the drag coefficient.

3. What factors affect the velocity of an object before reaching terminal velocity?

The velocity of an object before reaching terminal velocity is affected by its mass, the force of gravity, the density and viscosity of the fluid, and the shape and surface area of the object.

4. How does air resistance play a role in determining the velocity of an object before reaching terminal velocity?

Air resistance, also known as drag, increases as an object moves faster through a fluid. As the velocity of an object increases, the force of air resistance also increases until it becomes equal to the force of gravity, resulting in terminal velocity.

5. Can an object reach terminal velocity in a vacuum?

No, an object cannot reach terminal velocity in a vacuum because there is no fluid present to create air resistance. In a vacuum, an object will continue to accelerate until it reaches its maximum velocity.

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