Physics-Terminal Velocity

What is friction?

If the object has no force propelling it along it will always slow down and stop because of friction. Friction always acts in the opposite direction to movement. To travel at a steady speed, the driving force needs to balance the frictional forces.

What is drag?

Most of the resistive force are caused by drag. The most important factor in reducing drag in fluids is keeping the shape of the object streamlined. A streamlined object is one that allows fluids to flow over it easily, so they don’t slow down the object much as it passes them.

Ways of increasing the top speed of a vehicle.

• Reducing drag- This can be done by altering the shape of the vehicle to make it more streamlined.

• Increasing the power of the vehicle’s engine- This way, the driving force becomes larger and so the drag force on the vehicle will equal the driving force at a higher speed.

What is terminal velocity?

When a n object falls through a very large distance, it won’t just keep accelerating at the same rate until it hits the ground. Its acceleration will decrease until it reaches a steady velocity.

Factors affecting terminal velocity?

• The terminal velocity of a falling objects depends on it shape and area.

• The terminal velocity of an object is determined by its drag in comparison to its weight.

• The frictional force depends on its shape and area.