Final answer:
Fluid forces on an object, such as drag, increase with the square of the velocity, not linearly, thus making the statement False.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement As relative velocity increases, the fluid forces acting on an object increase linearly is False. Fluid forces, such as drag, increase with the square of the velocity. Thus, as relative velocity increases, the fluid forces do not increase linearly, but rather more sharply due to the quadratic relationship.
For example, if you double the velocity of an object moving through the air, the air resistance (a type of fluid force) doesn't simply double; it increases by a factor of four.