The physics
Terminal velocity is the speed at which air drag exactly balances gravity, so a falling object stops accelerating. Drag grows with the square of speed, so every falling object eventually finds this equilibrium.
Terminal velocity of a 75 kg skydiver, head-down
Answer: terminal velocity = 97.62 m/s (terminal velocity 351.4 km/h).
What we know
- Mass: 75 kg
- Drag coefficient: 0.7
- Cross-sectional area: 0.18 m²
- Air density: 1.225 kg/m³
Assumed drag coefficient and frontal area for a head-down dive; sea-level air.
Step by step
- Given
- m = 75 kg, Cd = 0.7, A = 0.18 m², ρ = 1.225 kg/m³
- Formula
- v = √(2mg / (ρ·A·Cd))
- Substitute
- v = √(2 × 75 × 9.80665 / (1.225 × 0.18 × 0.7))
- Result
- v = 97.62 m/s
All results
| Terminal velocity | 97.62 m/s |
|---|---|
| Terminal velocity | 351.4 km/h |
Open the terminal velocity calculator with these numbers → and change any of them.