What happens when a falling object reaches terminal velocity
it slows down
it hits the ground and stops it speeds up
it stops accelerating
Im pretty sure its d but just want to double check
d. It stops accelerating.
You're correct! When a falling object reaches terminal velocity, it stops accelerating. Terminal velocity is the maximum speed that an object can reach due to the balance between the force of gravity acting on it and the drag force exerted by the surrounding air or fluid.
To understand why it stops accelerating, we need to consider the forces at play. When an object falls, gravity pulls it downward, causing it to accelerate. However, as the object gains speed, the drag force from the air or fluid it moves through increases too. Eventually, the drag force becomes equal to and opposite in direction to the force of gravity, resulting in a net force of zero. Once the net force becomes zero, the object no longer accelerates and reaches a constant velocity, which is the terminal velocity.
This constant velocity is usually quite high, depending on the object's shape, size, and the medium it falls through. For example, a skydiver in a spread-out position might reach a terminal velocity of around 53 m/s (120 mph).
So, to summarize, when a falling object reaches terminal velocity, it stops accelerating because the drag force equals the force of gravity, resulting in a net force of zero.