Graph of Terminal Velocity

What forces are there as an object begins to fall?

There’s weight but no drag force.

What does the weight due to gravity cause?

The object to accelerate.

What else increases as velocity increases?

The frictional drag force, or air resistance, increases.

What does the resultant force become?

Smaller and the acceleration decreases.

When will the object reach a constant velocity?

When the air resistance balances the weight.

When will the object reach terminal velocity?

When there’s no resultant force, which leads to no acceleration.