The great fall: gravity versus air
Terminal velocity: the speed limit of falling
Catching the wind: the art of the parachute
Slicing the sky: cheating drag on the ground
artiteacher The physics of terminal velocity during Felix Baumgartner's stratospheric skydive.
If two objects have the same size but different weights, which one has a higher terminal velocity?
artiteacher Terminal Velocity
Drag meets weight / speed stays straight / terminal velocity!
artiteacher A belly-to-earth skydiver reaches a terminal velocity of about 120 mph.
Ant survival: Ants can survive falls from any height because their tiny size limits their terminal velocity to a gentle 6.4 kilometers per hour.
artiteacher Flying squirrels and geckos use skin membranes to survive massive falls.
Why did Felix Baumgartner fall faster than the speed of sound during his 2012 jump?
The constant maximum speed achieved by a falling object when the resistance of the medium prevents further acceleration. In 2012, Felix Baumgartner reached a record speed of 843.6 miles per hour falling from the stratosphere.
artiteacher Drag and drop objects to discover how air resistance affects falling speed.
What is the typical terminal velocity of a human skydiver falling belly-to-earth?