How do gravity and air resistance act on a falling object
Gravity and air resistance act on a falling object in different ways:
1. Gravity: Gravity is a force that pulls objects towards the center of the Earth. When an object is in freefall, gravity causes it to accelerate downwards at a constant rate of approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (on Earth). This means that the object's speed increases by 9.8 meters per second for each second it falls.
2. Air Resistance: Air resistance is the force exerted by the air on a moving object. When an object falls through the air, it experiences air resistance which opposes its motion. As the object moves faster, the air resistance also increases. Eventually, the air resistance becomes equal to the force of gravity acting on the object, resulting in a constant speed known as the terminal velocity. At terminal velocity, the forces of gravity and air resistance balance each other out, causing the object to fall at a constant speed without further acceleration.
So, in summary, gravity causes an object to accelerate downward while air resistance opposes its motion, ultimately resulting in a constant speed at terminal velocity.