How do you describe a sky diver's jump from an airplane to the ground?

Question

You must use the terms; air resistance, gravity, and terminal velocity.

Answer 1

Standing in the doorway of the airplane, your velocity in the Y direction is zero. This is because the lift from the planes wings offsets the effects of gravity.

With one jump you begin accelerating towards earth at 32 ft/sec². As you fall towards earth you continue to increase speed until the drag, "air resistance" of your body is equal to your weight. This is where you reach your terminal velocity, around 120 mph.

With a quick glance at your altimeter, you realize you still have time to experiment. You pull your legs together and put your arms to your sides. By streamlining your body you reduce your air resistance and begin to accelerate again. You'll keep going faster and faster until the air resistance (drag) of this streamlined position equals your weight. If you're really good, you might exceed 180 mph.

As you move your arms and legs out, you begin to slow down until you reach that 120 mph terminal velocity in a normal skydiver position.

With the earth rapidly approaching, you figure it's time to pull the ripcord. As the chute deploys you are quickly decelerated from 120 mph down to around 10 mph as the canopy fills with air. Thank goodness for the harness webbing or you'd have just experienced the ultimate wedgie.

As the ground gets closer and closer you recall those practice landings earlier in the day. If you screw it up you'll be walking on crutches for several weeks. Just as your feet touch the ground you tuck and roll -- Decelerating that last 10 mph can be brutal on stiff legs and locked knees.

Not the most graceful landing, but good enough to make you want to try it a second time.

Answer 2

I would describe it as the sensation of falling from a great height, letting gravity accelerate your fall and air resistance slow your fall, until you reach terminal velocity (32ft/sec/sec). Then that speed remains constant until a parachute rudely jerks open and immediately begins slowing your dive, which is now more of swing, until you reach the ground at @8ft/sec and if you're good, you land on your feet or roll to a stop and if you're bad, you land in a tree or break a bone. Then you can't say enough about the jump to all your friends. P.S. You do know why there are no blind sky divers. That's because it scares the poop out of their dogs. (grin)

Answer 3

Jump From Airplane

Answer 4

Well, let's see... gravity, of course, is a constant ; terminal velocity is the point at which accelleration ceases ( your free-fall speed won't increase) ; air resistance depends on your clothing, how far out you spread your arms, how big your mouth opens when you scream -- Aw, heck... it's windy!