Question

True or False: The height from which cliff divers jump affects the velocity at which they will fall. Velocity is speed in a certain direction. Include your reasoning with your answer.

Answer 1

the diver's speed is independent of the launch height.

Step-by-step explanation:

For this exercise we must use Newton's second law

fr - W = m a

the friction force has the general form

fr = b v

Let's analyze this equation to find out what happens with the speed of the distant club.

When jumping, the initial speed is zero, so the friction force is zero and has an acceleration equal to the acceleration of gravity, as the speed increases the friction force increases decreasing the acceleration until it becomes zero, when it arrives at this value the velocity it has is called terminal velocity and this velocity remains fixed in relation to the trajectory.

fr = W

v = cte

The distance or time in which this equilibrium is reached is relatively fast, so the diver's speed is independent of the launch height.