The terminal velocity of a skydiver can be calculated using the equation D = 1/2 C p A v^2, where D is the drag force, C is the drag coefficient, p is the air density, A is the cross-sectional area, and v is the velocity. In this discussion, the parameters provided include a mass (m) of 84 kg, a drag coefficient (C) of 0.8, an air density (p) of 1.2 kg/m^3, and a cross-sectional area (A) of 987 cm^2. The correct formula to find terminal velocity is v = sqrt((2mg)/(CpA)), which requires converting the area from cm^2 to m^2. The initial calculation of 1.38 m/s is incorrect due to the area conversion oversight.
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That's the right approach, but I don't understand how you get such a small velocity. Did you forget to convert the area to m2?newbe318 said: