Which size Styrofoam ball has the lowest terminal velocity .5, 1, 2, or 4 inch balll?

Answer 1

Terminal velocity is roughly proportional to the ratio of weight to cross-sectional area. Since weight increases more quickly than cross-sectional area with radius, the smallest ball will have the lowest terminal velocity.

Answer 2

The 4 inch Styrofoam ball will have the lowest terminal velocity, because of the drag or lift created by its size. The balls could all fall at the same rate because there weight to size ratio would be the same, but consider that winds go up and down. A man that jumped our of an airplane with a big parachute almost never got back to earth because of the updrafts that took him to higher altitudes.

Answer 3

Air resistance increases with increase in size. It's directly related to area which is an r^2 function.

Mass also increases with increase in size. It's directly related to volume which is an r^3 function.

So as the size increases, the mass increases faster than the air resistance does. So the air resistance of the smallest ball has more significant air resistance compared to its mass or weight. And the most significant air resistance translates into lowest terminal velocity.

Answer 4

The .5 inch ball, because it has the least drag. If there were three balls for instance though, and they all weighed the same, they would have the same terminal velocity.

Answer 5

5 Inch Styrofoam Balls

Answer 6

.5 It has the greatest surface area to mass ratio. This means more air drag relative to its weight and a slower descent

Answer 7

assuming they all have the same density... d - all of the above

surface to mass ratio should be the same for all of them given the spherical shape and a common density.