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explain why the motion of the skydiver changed when they opened their parachute

Question

explain why the motion of the skydiver changed when they opened their parachute

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Solution

  1. When a skydiver jumps from an airplane, they initially accelerate downwards due to the force of gravity. This is known as free fall. During this time, the only significant force acting on the skydiver is gravity.

  2. As the skydiver continues to fall, they start to experience a small amount of air resistance. This resistance increases as the skydiver's speed increases. However, the force of gravity is still much stronger, so the skydiver continues to accelerate downwards.

  3. When the skydiver opens their parachute, the surface area of the object (the skydiver plus the parachute) facing the direction of motion suddenly increases. This causes a dramatic increase in air resistance.

  4. The increased air resistance counteracts the force of gravity. The skydiver stops accelerating and quickly reaches a relatively constant speed, known as terminal velocity. This speed is much slower than the speed the skydiver was falling at before the parachute was opened.

  5. The change in motion when the parachute is opened is due to the change in forces acting on the skydiver. Before the parachute is opened, gravity is the dominant force, causing the skydiver to accelerate downwards. After the parachute is opened, air resistance becomes the dominant force, causing the skydiver to slow down and fall at a constant speed.

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