Question

Consider when and individual skydives out of a plane. First, draw a force body diagram of the skydiver falling towards the ground. Be sure to label all appropriate forces. Second, explain what will happen when terminal velocity is reached. Finally, explain the reason that skydivers deploy their parachute. What would happen if they deployed it too late? Your answer should use appropriate physics terminology.

Answer 1

The force diagram of the skydiver falling is as follow:

Basically, what you have is the gravitational force Fg and the drag force Fd due to the drag of the air.

Whe the terminal velocity is reached by the skydiver, the motion of the skydiver is not accelerated, that is, the speed of the falling is constant. This is because the drag force and gravitational forve are equal and then there is not a net acceleration.

If the skydiver deploys its parachute too late, it is very possible that the terminal velocity is not reached, and there would be a net acceleration of the motion of the skydiver. It makes that the experienced force over the ground, when the skydiver reached it, may cause problems as lessions.