Physics of Skydiving

What force balances the force of gravity before the skydiver jumps?

• The skydiver's weight

• Air resistance

• Friction from the air

• The floor of the plane

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

What happens to the velocity of the skydiver as she falls - prior to reaching terminal velocity?

• Increases

• Decreases

• Stays constant

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

What is the approximate acceleration of the skydiver immediately after jumping out of the plane?

• 0 m/s/s

• 10 m/s/s

• 5 m/s/s

• 15 m/s/s

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

What happens to the acceleration of the skydiver as she falls - prior to reaching terminal velocity?

• increases

• decreases

• stays the same

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-1

What happens to the amount of air resistance acting on the skydiver as she falls - prior to reaching terminal velocity?

• increases

• decreases

• remains constant

What happens when the upward force of air matches the downward force of gravity for the skydiver?

• Skydiver stops falling

• Air resistance becomes negligible

• Skydiver continues accelerating

• Skydiver's speed becomes constant

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Why does the skydiver slow down when the parachute opens?

• Air resistance suddenly becomes much greater than gravity

• Gravity increases greatly

• Skydiver's weight decreases

• Parachute exerts a strong downward force

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

What happens when the upward force is greater than the downward force on the skydiver?

• Skydiver experiences no change in speed

• Skydiver stops falling

• Skydiver slows down

• Skydiver speeds up

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

The two factors that affect air resistance are

• speed

• surface area

• mass

• height

What happens to the acceleration of the skydiver during her fall from the instant she falls out of the plane until she opens her parachute?

• 0 m/s/s

• decreases

• increases

• 10 m/s/s

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-1