What is terminal speed?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Begin by identifying what terminal speed means in physics. Terminal speed is the constant speed that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the medium prevents further acceleration.

Option a: The speed of an object before reaching the ground. This is incorrect because terminal speed refers to the balance of forces during the fall, not simply any speed reached before impact. It does not specify the crucial balance between forces.

Option b: The speed achieved by the object when the resistive force is equal to the gravitational force. This is correct because at terminal speed the downward gravitational force is exactly balanced by the upward resistive (drag) force, resulting in zero net force and constant velocity.

Option c: The speed of an object moving in a liquid or gas. While terminal speed occurs while moving through a fluid, this option is too vague. It does not state the essential condition of force balance that defines terminal speed, so it is incomplete as a definition.

Option d: The speed achieved by the object when the resistive force is smaller than the gravitational force. This is incorrect because when the resistive force is smaller than gravity, the object continues to accelerate rather than reaching a constant speed. Terminal speed requires equality of forces, not inequality.

In summary, the precise definition hinges on force equilibrium between weight and drag, which is captured in option b. Other choices either describe an approximate situation, a partial scenario, or omit the critical balance of forces.

UCIC 202503 PHYS101 Quiz 2

What is terminal speed?

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