Explain what happens when a skydiver reaches terminal velocity?

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Weight = total air resistance, so by Newton's first law, the skydiver free-falls at uniform (terminal) velocity.

When a skydiver reaches terminal velocity, it means that they are falling through the air at the maximum speed possible. At this point, the force of the air resistance pushing up against them is equal to the force of gravity pulling them downward. As a result, their velocity becomes constant, and they continue to fall at a steady speed without accelerating further.

To understand how this happens, we need to consider the forces acting on a skydiver. Initially, when a skydiver jumps out of a plane or starts descending from a high altitude, they accelerate due to the force of gravity pulling them downward. However, as they pick up speed, the air resistance exerted by the air molecules pushing against their body increases.

At some point, the force of air resistance becomes large enough to balance the force of gravity acting on the skydiver. The two forces are now equal in strength, and the skydiver stops accelerating. This is when they reach terminal velocity.

Terminal velocity varies depending on many factors such as body position, weight, and the density of the surrounding air. On average, terminal velocity for a typical skydiver in a stable belly-to-earth position is around 53 meters per second (120 miles per hour). However, this value can be influenced by factors like altitude, altitude variations, and equipment.

Reaching terminal velocity is critical for skydivers because it allows them to maintain a controlled descent speed as they fall towards the ground. This steady speed ensures their safety and allows them to deploy their parachute and reduce their velocity further, ultimately landing safely on the ground.