Question

Use the terms free fall, gravitational acceleration, air resistance and

terminal velocity to explain:
1. why whether a wing suit pilot is in free fall or not, and
2. how a parachute allows him/her to land on the ground safely.
Write a few sentences here:

Answer 1

A wingsuit pilot in free fall experiences reduced gravitational acceleration due to increased air resistance, which allows for a controlled descent. A parachute increases air resistance even more, leading to a greatly decreased terminal velocity that enables a safe landing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term free fall refers to the motion of an object where gravity is the only force acting upon it. In the case of a wingsuit pilot, they are in free fall, but the wingsuit increases the air resistance they experience, which in turn decreases their gravitational acceleration. This air resistance slows the pilot down allowing them to glide and control their descent to a degree rather than falling straight down at the acceleration due to gravity which is 9.8 m/s2.

A parachute significantly increases the air resistance experienced by the skydiver, which in turn greatly reduces their descending velocity. As the skydiver opens their parachute, it spreads out and catches the air, causing air resistance to increase dramatically and exceed the force of gravity temporarily, reducing their speed. Eventually, the forces balance, and the skydiver reaches terminal velocity, but at a much lower and safer speed, allowing for a gentle landing.

Answer 2

1. A wingsuit pilot is not in freefall.

2. The parachute increases air resistance, decreasing the pilot's acceleration, thus decreasing terminal velocity and allowing the pilot to land safely.

Step-by-step explanation:

1. An object is in freefall when the only force acting on it is the force of gravity. An object does not necessarily need to moving at a certain speed to be in freefall. Because the wingsuit pilot's wingsuit creates a heavy amount of air resistance, the force of gravity is not the only force acting on the object. Therefore, the object is not in freefall.

2. By increasing the surface area or cross-section perpendicular to the force of gravity, the parachute creates a heavy amount of air resistance. Since air resistance acts opposite in direction to the force of gravity, the pilot will have a lower terminal velocity and will reach the ground at a dramatically lower speed, thus allowing them to land safely.