When a parachutist jumps from an airplane, he eventually reaches a constant “terminal” velocity. Once that speed has been reached, which statement is true? Take g = 10 m/s2.

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Question restatement: A parachutist jumping from an airplane eventually reaches a constant terminal velocity. Once that speed is reached, which statement is true? Take g = 10 m/s^2.

Observation about available information: The provided data includes the question and one listed answer option: 'The force of air drag on him has the same magnitude as his weight.' However, the set of answer options is incomplete or missing; no other choices are shown for comparison.

Reasoning for the provided correct statement (drag equals weight at terminal velocity):
- At terminal velocity, the acceleration of the parachutist is zero because the velocity has become constant, indicating a net force of zero.
- The only forces acting on the parachutist near terminal velocity are gravity pulling downward (weight) and air drag acting upward (or opposite the motion).
- For the net force to be zero, these two opposing forces must have equal magnitudes: weight = drag.
- Therefore, the drag force exerted by the air is equal in magnitude to the weight of the parachutist, which is m·g. With g = 10 m/s^2, weight = m·10 N, and the drag force matches this value at terminal velocity.

Implications and common misconceptions (even though not all options are shown):
- If drag were less than weight, a net downward force would exist, causing continued acceleration, so terminal velocity would not have been reached.
- If drag were greater than weight, the net force would be upward, slowing the descent and eventually reducing drag until balance occurs again.
- Terminal velocity is achieved when the upward drag force exactly balances the downward weight, resulting in zero net force and constant velocity.

Note on the missing options: Since the other answer choices are not displayed, we cannot contrast this statement with them directly. The reasoning above explains why the condition drag = weight is the defining characteristic of terminal velocity in this scenario.

Section Merge: PHYS 211: Mechanics (UP; Spring 2025) phys211_MT2

When a parachutist jumps from an airplane, he eventually reaches a constant “terminal” velocity. Once that speed has been reached, which statement is true? Take g = 10 m/s2.

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