When a parachute opens, the air exerts a large drag force on it. This upward force is initially greater than the weight of the sky diver and, thus, slows him down. Suppose the weight of the sky diver is 914 N and the drag force has a magnitude of 1120 N. The mass of the sky diver is 93.3 kg. What are the magnitude and direction of his acceleration?

magnitude 1 m/s2
direction upward

To find the magnitude and direction of the skydiver's acceleration, we first need to calculate the net force acting on him. This can be done by subtracting the drag force from the weight of the skydiver.

Net force = Weight - Drag force

Net force = 914 N - 1120 N

Net force = -206 N (Negative sign indicates the force is acting in the opposite direction to gravity)

Since acceleration is defined as the ratio of net force to mass, we can now calculate the acceleration:

Acceleration = Net force / Mass

Acceleration = (-206 N) / 93.3 kg

Acceleration = -2.21 m/s^2 (Again, the negative sign indicates that the acceleration is in the opposite direction to gravity)

So, the magnitude of the skydiver's acceleration is 2.21 m/s^2, and the direction is upward.