A 58.3 kg skydiver falls through the air and eventually reaches terminal velocity. The net acceleration acting on the skydiver at terminal velocity is:

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

At terminal velocity the drag force equals the weight, so the net force is zero and the acceleration is zero.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Newton’s second law: ΣF = ma. If the net force ΣF = 0, then acceleration a = 0.
- Terminal velocity is reached when gravitational force (weight) is exactly balanced by air resistance (drag), producing no net force and thus no change in speed.
- Units: m/s/s is the same as m/s^2 (acceleration).

2) Complete reasoning step by step
- The skydiver has weight W = mg acting downward and drag D acting upward.
- At terminal velocity: D = W, so the upward and downward forces cancel: D − W = 0.
- Apply Newton’s second law in vertical direction: ΣF = ma. Here ΣF = 0, therefore a = 0.

3) Calculations and intermediate steps
- Calculate the weight for completeness: m = 58.3 kg, g = 9.81 m/s^2.
- W = m g = 58.3 kg × 9.81 m/s^2 = 571.923 N (rounded 571.92 N).
- Because drag = 571.92 N upward at terminal velocity, net force = 571.92 N − 571.92 N = 0 N.
- Using ΣF = ma → 0 N = (58.3 kg) × a → a = 0 N / 58.3 kg = 0.0 m/s^2.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- Terminal velocity means velocity is constant in time, so acceleration is zero. Newton’s second law directly gives a = 0 when net force is zero.

5) Why the other options are incorrect
- a. 58.30 m/s/s: this is just the mass value misinterpreted as acceleration; mass is not acceleration.
- c. 9.81 m/s/s: this is the free-fall acceleration due to gravity when no air resistance; not applicable at terminal velocity where drag cancels gravity.
- d. 571.92 m/s/s: this is the numerical value of weight in newtons (571.92 N) but with incorrect units and it is a force, not an acceleration.

6) Conclusion
- The net acceleration at terminal velocity is 0.0 m/s/s, matching the provided correct answer (option b).

A 58.3 kg skydiver falls through the air and eventually reaches terminal velocity. The net acceleration acting on the skydiver at terminal velocity is:单项选择题

类似问题

A 62.6 kg skydiver falls through the air and eventually reaches terminal velocity. The gravitational acceleration acting on the skydiver at terminal velocity is:

A 65.3 kg skydiver falls through the air and eventually reaches terminal velocity. The gravitational acceleration acting on the skydiver at terminal velocity is:

Which of the following factors determine the terminal settling velocity of a given airborne material?

What happens to the object after it reaches a terminal speed?

What happens to the object before it reaches a terminal speed?

What is terminal speed?

A 63.9 kg skydiver falls through the air and eventually reaches terminal velocity. The force of air resistance acting on the skydiver at terminal velocity is:

When a parachutist jumps from an airplane, he eventually reaches a constant “terminal” velocity. Once that speed has been reached, which statement is true? Take g = 10 m/s2.

更多留学生实用工具

智能学习助手

风格化写作助手

论文查重助手

文献引用助手

课堂转译助手

课堂笔记助手

Quiz搜索助手

学校历年真题

智能刷题助手

智能匹配练习

希望你的学习变得更简单