Terminal Velocity and Air Resistance
Summary
TLDRThis video explains how objects or people falling from a great height are affected by gravity and air resistance. Initially, they accelerate towards the ground until air resistance balances with gravity, reaching terminal velocity. For humans, terminal velocity can be dangerously fast, but parachutes increase air resistance, slowing the descent and allowing for a safe landing. The video encourages viewers to design their own parachute and experiment with timing the fall of small objects. Additional worksheets are available for download on the NG Science website.
Takeaways
- π Objects or people falling from great heights are pulled towards the Earth by gravity.
- π As an object falls, it accelerates, moving faster towards the ground.
- π¬οΈ Air resistance, also known as drag force, pushes against the object, slowing it down.
- βοΈ Terminal velocity occurs when the drag force equals the force of gravity, stopping further acceleration.
- π Terminal velocity varies based on an object's shape, size, and mass.
- π§βπ For a human, terminal velocity while falling through the air is around 120 miles per hour (193 km/h).
- πͺ A parachute increases air resistance by creating a larger surface area, slowing the descent.
- π¬ The parachute enables a safe landing by significantly reducing the speed of descent.
- π The video encourages experimenting with designing parachutes for small objects to observe the slowing effect.
- π Worksheets related to this video are available for download on NG Science's website.
Q & A
What causes an object or person to fall towards the Earth?
-An object or person falls towards the Earth due to the force of gravity.
What happens to an object's speed as it falls?
-As an object falls, it accelerates, meaning it moves faster and faster towards the ground.
What role does air resistance play during a fall?
-Air resistance, or drag force, pushes against the falling object or person, slowing them down.
What is terminal velocity and how is it reached?
-Terminal velocity is the point at which the air resistance equals the force of gravity, causing the object or person to stop accelerating.
How does terminal velocity differ for different objects?
-Terminal velocity can vary depending on the shape, size, and mass of the object.
What is the approximate terminal velocity for a human falling through the air?
-The terminal velocity for a human falling through the air is around 120 miles per hour or about 193 kilometers per hour.
Why is terminal velocity too fast for a human to safely land on the ground?
-At terminal velocity, a human is falling too fast to safely land because the speed is too high for a safe impact.
How does a parachute help in a fall?
-A parachute increases air resistance by creating a larger surface area for the air to push against, slowing the descent and allowing for a safe landing.
When does a skydiver deploy their parachute during a fall?
-A skydiver deploys their parachute after reaching terminal velocity, to slow down their descent.
What experiment is suggested at the end of the script?
-The script suggests designing and making your own parachute to slow the fall of small objects, using a stopwatch to time the object's fall.
Outlines
π Understanding Gravity and Terminal Velocity
When an object or person falls from a great height, they are pulled toward Earth due to gravity. As they descend, they accelerate, increasing in speed. However, air resistance, also known as drag force, works against them, slowing down the fall. Eventually, the drag force equals the force of gravity, causing the object or person to stop accelerating. This balance is called terminal velocity, which varies depending on the shape, size, and mass of the falling object. For a human falling through the air, terminal velocity is about 120 miles per hour or 193 kilometers per hour, which is too fast for a safe landing. To address this, parachutes are used to increase air resistance, slowing down the fall and enabling a safe descent.
πͺ Skydiving and Parachutes: How They Work
Skydivers experience a similar process. When they jump from a plane, gravity causes them to accelerate initially. As they fall, air resistance increases until it balances with gravity, and they reach terminal velocity. At this point, the skydiver deploys a parachute, which significantly increases air resistance, slowing their descent and allowing them to land safely.
π Design Your Own Parachute Experiment
Viewers are encouraged to design and make their own parachutes to test how they can slow the fall of small objects. A stopwatch can be used to time the fall and measure the effectiveness of the parachute design.
π Additional Resources and Subscription
At the end of the video, viewers are informed about available worksheets that can be downloaded by creating a free account on NG Science's website. They are also encouraged to subscribe to the NG Science YouTube channel to stay updated on future videos.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Gravity
π‘Acceleration
π‘Air resistance
π‘Terminal velocity
π‘Parachute
π‘Drag force
π‘Mass
π‘Surface area
π‘Descent
π‘Skydiver
Highlights
Objects or people falling from a great height are pulled towards Earth by gravity.
As an object or person falls, they accelerate, meaning they move faster towards the ground.
Air resistance, or drag force, pushes against falling objects, slowing them down.
When drag force equals the force of gravity, the object stops accelerating, a condition called terminal velocity.
Terminal velocity varies for different objects based on their shape, size, and mass.
For a human, terminal velocity is about 120 miles per hour or 193 kilometers per hour.
A speed of 120 miles per hour is too fast for a person to safely reach the ground.
Parachutes increase air resistance by providing a larger surface area, which slows the object's descent.
A parachute allows a person or object to land safely by reducing the fall speed.
Skydivers accelerate when they initially jump due to gravity.
Air resistance gradually increases during a skydive until it balances with gravity.
When a skydiver reaches terminal velocity, they deploy their parachute to slow down.
The parachute slows the descent, allowing the skydiver to land safely.
The video encourages designing and making parachutes to slow the fall of small objects.
Using a stopwatch to time the fall of small objects can help test parachute designs.
Transcripts
foreign
object or person falls from a great
height they are pulled towards the
surface of the Earth by the force of
gravity
as the object or person falls they
accelerate meaning they move faster and
faster towards the ground
however the air resistance or drag Force
pushes against them slowing them down
at some point the drag Force becomes
equal to the force of gravity and the
object or person stops accelerating this
is called terminal velocity which can be
different for different objects
depending on their shape size and Mass
terminal velocity for a human falling
through the air is around 120 miles per
hour or about 193 kilometers per hour
Which is far too fast to safely reach
the ground this is where a parachute
comes in a parachute increases air
resistance due to its shape and size
creating a larger surface area for the
air to push against this slows down the
person or object's descent allowing them
to land safely on the ground
[Music]
foreign
[Music]
let's go through it one more time
when a skydiver leaps from a plane they
initially accelerate due to the force of
gravity
[Music]
as they fall air resistance gradually
increases until it balances with the
force of gravity and the skydiver
reaches terminal velocity at this point
the skydiver deploys their parachute
which increases air resistance and slows
their descent
allowing them to land safely on the
ground
try designing and making your own
parachute to slow the fall of small
objects use a stopwatch to time the
object's fall
thanks for watching
worksheets relating to this short video
can be downloaded by creating a free
account at ngscience.com don't forget to
subscribe to the NG science YouTube
channel to never miss a video
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