Exploring the Relationship Between Terminal Velocity and Drop
Height
Introduction :
One day i was sitting near a park and suddenly a
apple fell on my head but i did not know anything
then but after a few days my teacher taught me
about terminal velocity and that's when i recalled the
moment the apple fell on y head to see that there is
more to it so i want to know more about this and that
is why i chose this topic to see how different things
act on the same height and different height.
Aim:
To explore and analyze the relationship between the
terminal velocity of a falling object and the height
from which it is dropped.
Research question :
How does the terminal velocity of an object vary with
the height from which it is dropped
Hypothesis :
When an object is falling, gravity pulls it down,
causing it to accelerate faster and faster. If gravity
was the only force acting on that object, then it
would continue to speed up at the rate of gravity's
acceleration (9.8 m/s) until it hit the ground. But
gravity isn't the only force acting on the object, there
is also drag force acting on that object. As gravity
and drag force comes to a balance, the object
reaches a terminal velocity
Background research :
Understanding how the terminal velocity of an object
depends on the height from which it is dropped
involves exploring various concepts related to
gravity, air resistance, and the motion of falling
objects. Here is some background research to help
you grasp the key principles:
● Free Fall and Acceleration due to Gravity:
When an object is in free fall, it experiences only the
force of gravity acting on it.
The acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8
m/s² on the surface of the Earth. This means that in
the absence of other forces, an object in free fall will
accelerate at this rate.
● Air Resistance:
As an object falls through the atmosphere, it
encounters air resistance or drag.
Air resistance is influenced by the shape, size, and
speed of the falling object. Larger and less
aerodynamic objects generally experience greater
air resistance
Experimental procedures :
i) apparatus/materials required -
● Measuring Tape or Meter Stick
● Stopwatch or Timer
● Paper
● Pen
● Objects to drop:
1. Pencil
2. Ball
3. Marker
4. Eraser
5. Paper
6. Box
ii) method/procedure -
First we have to take some objects and weigh them
next we should drop them from different heights and
ses how it acts on them then next we should
calculate the terminal velocity of each object and
record the data
iii) formula/calculations -
Vt = terminal velocity
m = mass of the falling object
g = acceleration due to gravity
\rho = density of the fluid through which the
object is falling
A = projected area of the object
C_d = drag coefficient
Table-1
Object name Mass Height
Pencil 2 feet
Ball 2 feet
Marker 2 feet
Eraser 2 feet
Paper 2 feet
Box 2 feet
Table-2
Object name Mass Height
Pencil 4 feet
Ball 4feet
Marker 4 feet
Eraser 4 feet
Paper 4 feet
Box 4feet
Table-3
Object name Mass Height
Pencil 6 feet
Ball 6 feet
Marker 6 feet
Eraser 6 feet
Paper 6 feet
Box 6 feet
Result :
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Conclusion :
As an object falls from a certain height, its velocity
increases due to the force of gravity. However, as
the object accelerates, air resistance acting in the
opposite direction increases as well. At a certain
point, the force of gravity and the force of air
resistance become equal, resulting in a net force of
zero. This is when the object reaches its terminal
velocity.
Bibliography :
https://byjus.com/physics/derivation-of-
terminal-velocity/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_velocity
https://www.coursehero.com/file/67416722/
Physics-IA/#:~:text=Terminal%20velocity%20is
%20the%20maximum,which%20is%20measured
%20in%20kilograms
https://www.quora.com/Is-terminal-velocity-
dependent-on-height#:~:text=As%20long%20as
%20there%20is,surface%20area%20to%20weight
%20ratio.
