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The terminal velocity of a person falling in air depends upon the weight and the area of the person facing the fluid. Find the terminal velocity (in meters per second and kilometers per hour) of an 80.0-kg skydiver falling in a headfirst position with a surface area of 0.140m2.

a) 38.6 m/s (139 km/h)
b) 42.9 m/s (154 km/h)
c) 46.3 m/s (166 km/h)
d) 50.1 m/s (180 km/h)

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The terminal velocity of an 80.0-kg skydiver falling in a headfirst position with a surface area of 0.140 m² is approximately 42.9 m/s (154 km/h).

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the terminal velocity of a skydiver falling in a headfirst position, we need to consider the weight of the skydiver and the area they present to the fluid. The formula to calculate terminal velocity is V = sqrt((2 * m * g) / (p * A * C)), where V is the terminal velocity, m is the mass of the skydiver, g is the acceleration due to gravity, p is the density of air, A is the surface area of the skydiver, and C is the drag coefficient. Assuming a drag coefficient of 1 for a skydiver in a headfirst position, we can calculate the terminal velocity.

Using the given values, the terminal velocity of the skydiver can be calculated as:

V = sqrt((2 * 80.0 * 9.8) / (1.2 * 0.140))

V ≈ 42.9 m/s

Converting this to kilometers per hour, we have:

V = 42.9 * 3.6 ≈ 154 km/h
Therefore, the correct option is b) 42.9 m/s (154 km/h).

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