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Terminal velocity is the maximum speed attainable by an object as it falls through a fluid (air is the most common example). It is reached when the sum of the drag force ( F d ) and the buoyancy is equal to the downward force of gravity ( F G ) acting on the object.
Sep 22, 2022 · Terminal velocity is the constant speed an object acquires after falling through fluid, like air. It occurs when the sum of the buoyant force and the drag force equals the force due to gravity. The terminal velocity is the highest velocity during the object’s fall.
Aug 16, 2024 · Terminal velocity, steady speed achieved by an object freely falling through a gas or liquid. An object dropped from rest will increase its speed until it reaches terminal velocity; an object forced to move faster than it terminal velocity will, upon release, slow down to this constant velocity.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jul 23, 2024 · The steady speed at which an object free falls is known as the terminal velocity. As an object falls, its speed increases up to a point where the gravitational pull and drag force are equal. At this point, the velocity of the object becomes the terminal velocity, and the acceleration becomes zero.
Jan 24, 2020 · Terminal velocity is defined as the highest velocity that can be achieved by an object that is falling through a fluid, such as air or water. When terminal velocity is reached, the downward force of gravity is equal to the sum of the object's buoyancy and the drag force. An object at terminal velocity has zero net acceleration.
- Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
The terminal velocity equation tells us that an object with a large cross-sectional area or a high drag coefficient will fall slower than an object with a small area or low drag coefficient. (A large flat plate will fall slower than an a small ball with the same weight.)
Calculate the terminal velocity of a human body (e.g. in skydiving) or of any object which is falling freely through air. Terminal velocity formula and equation with calculation examples.