which statement best explains why a paper airplane eventually falls to the ground?
A. inertia acts as a balanced force that shows the airplane and pulls it down
B. the force from throwing the airplane loses strength as a airplane moves
C. inertia creates the new forces acting on the airplane to keep it up
D. the balanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down
D. the balanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down
The correct answer is D. The balanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down. As the paper airplane moves through the air, it experiences air resistance, which is a force opposing its motion. At the same time, gravity pulls downward on the airplane, countering the lift it generates. Eventually, the combined effect of air resistance and gravity causes the airplane to slow down and fall to the ground.
The statement that best explains why a paper airplane eventually falls to the ground is option D: the balanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down.
To understand this, it's useful to have a basic understanding of the forces acting on a paper airplane. Two main forces are involved: gravity and air resistance.
Gravity is the force that pulls objects towards the center of the Earth. Since the paper airplane has mass, it experiences a downward force of gravity that pulls it towards the ground.
Air resistance, on the other hand, is a force exerted by air particles on objects moving through the air. When the paper airplane is thrown, it encounters resistance from the air particles it comes into contact with. This resistance opposes the motion of the airplane and acts in the opposite direction to its velocity.
Initially, when the paper airplane is thrown, the force from the throw is greater than the forces of gravity and air resistance. This causes the airplane to move upward and stay in the air. However, as the airplane moves through the air, the force from the throw gradually loses strength. As a result, the forces of gravity and air resistance begin to have a more significant effect on the airplane.
As the airplane slows down due to the opposing force of air resistance, the force of gravity becomes stronger, eventually overcoming the upward force and causing the airplane to fall to the ground.
Therefore, option D best explains why a paper airplane eventually falls to the ground, as the balanced forces of air resistance and gravity slow the airplane and pull it down.