Terminal Velocity Physics
A rubber ball of mass is dropped from a cliff. As the ball falls, it is subject to air drag (a resistive force caused by the air). The drag force on the ball has a magnitude , where is a constant drag coefficient and is the instantaneous speed of the ball. The drag coefficient is directly proportional to the cross-sectional area of the ball and the density of the air and does not depend on the mass of the ball. As the ball falls, its speed approaches a constant value called the terminal speed.
A. Draw and label all the forces on the ball at some instant before it reaches terminal speed.
B. State whether the magnitude of the acceleration of the ball of mass increases, decreases, or remains the same as the ball approaches terminal speed. Explain.
C. Write, but do NOT solve, a differential equation for the instantaneous speed of the ball in terms of time , the given quantities, and fundamental constants.
D. Determine the terminal speed in terms of the given quantities and fundamental constants.
E. Determine the energy dissipated by the drag force during the fall if the ball is released at height and reaches its terminal speed before hitting the ground, in terms of the given quantities and fundamental constants.
SOLUTION MISSING: Unfortunately the author of this youtube video removed their content. You may be able to find a similar problem by checking the other problems in this subject. If you want to contribute, leave a comment with the link to your solution.Related Problems
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