Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity
Air resistance is a drag force that grows with speed, and terminal velocity is reached when drag equals the downward weight.
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Air resistance is a drag force that grows with speed, and terminal velocity is reached when drag equals the downward weight.
- Drag increases as speed increases
- At terminal velocity forces are balanced
- A parachute increases drag to reduce the speed
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity?
Within Physics, which covers forces, energy, waves, electricity, magnetism, light and space explained through motion and experiments, this topic explains Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity. Physics topics explain how things move, push, heat up and carry energy, so each one here pairs a definition with a live model you can change.
Check that you can explain Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity explains how the physical world behaves, from sport and transport to electricity and medicine.
Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity in detail
Air resistance, or drag, is a frictional force that opposes motion through air and increases with speed and with cross-sectional area. As a skydiver falls, weight stays constant but drag rises until it equals weight; then the resultant force is zero and the speed stays constant at the terminal velocity.
Opening a parachute increases the area, so drag exceeds weight, the diver slows and a new, lower terminal velocity is reached. Streamlined shapes reduce drag for cars, cyclists and aircraft. Velocity-time graphs for falling objects curve toward a horizontal line.
How the interactive helps you understand Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity
Watch the force arrows in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the force arrows responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity.
Real-life uses and examples
- Answer “explain” questions by linking Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity to a clear cause and effect.
- Predict what a ball, car or circuit will do with Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity before you do the calculation.
- Explain everyday devices, such as brakes, lifts or chargers, using Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting that some quantities, such as force or velocity, also have a direction.
- Mixing up Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity with a related quantity that has different units.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity
What is Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity?
Air resistance is a drag force that grows with speed, and terminal velocity is reached when drag equals the downward weight.
What are the most important points about Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity?
The main points are: Drag increases as speed increases; At terminal velocity forces are balanced; A parachute increases drag to reduce the speed.
Why is Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity useful?
Understanding Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity explains how the physical world behaves, from sport and transport to electricity and medicine.
How can I practise Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity?
Related topics in Physics include Centre of Mass and Stability, Pressure in Liquids, Work Done.