An object is dropped from the top of the Empire State Building. Which ...
The force of air resistance is proportional to the square of the velocity. At the beginning, there is no upward force. As the object falls through the sky, the force of air resistance increases and increases to oppose the force due to gravity.
As time progresses further, the force of air resistance will increase until it is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the weight.
Its speed does not remain constant for the fall and does not decrease at a constant rate since it gain more speed as it falls.
The speed does increase, but not at a constant rate and not for the entirety of its fall.
Its acceleration, which is gravity, does decrease until the object reaches its terminal velocity, at which point acceleration is zero or velocity is constant.
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An object is dropped from the top of the Empire State Building. Which ...
Understanding the Motion of a Falling Object with Air Resistance
When an object is dropped from a great height, such as the Empire State Building, its motion is influenced significantly by air resistance. Here's a detailed breakdown of what happens during its fall.
Initial Free Fall
- When the object is initially dropped, it accelerates downward due to gravity, which is approximately 9.81 m/s².
- During this phase, the object’s speed increases rapidly as it falls.
Effect of Air Resistance
- As the object gains speed, it encounters air resistance, which acts in the opposite direction to its motion.
- This resistance increases with the speed of the object; hence, the faster the object falls, the greater the air resistance acting against it.
Transition to Terminal Velocity
- Eventually, the force of air resistance grows enough to balance the gravitational force acting on the object.
- At this point, the object stops accelerating and continues to fall at a constant speed known as terminal velocity.
Acceleration Changes
- Initially, the object has a constant acceleration due to gravity.
- As air resistance increases, the net force acting on the object decreases, leading to a reduction in acceleration.
- The object’s acceleration decreases until it reaches zero at terminal velocity, where it moves at a constant speed.
Conclusion
- Therefore, option 'D' is correct: "Its acceleration will decrease until the object starts moving with a constant speed."
- This describes the transition from free fall to terminal velocity, illustrating how air resistance impacts the motion of the falling object.