A 10-pound sack of potatoes falls from an airplane. As the velocity of the falling sack increases, so does the air resistance on it. When the air resistance equals 10 pounds, the acceleration of the sack will be A) 100 ft/s². B) 9.8 m/s. C) 9.8 m/s². D) zero.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the air resistance equals the weight of the object, the net force acting on the object becomes zero. According to Newton's second law of motion, acceleration is directly proportional to net force. Therefore, if the net force is zero, the acceleration is also zero. This state is known as terminal velocity, where the object falls at a constant speed.

A 10-Pound Sack of Potatoes Falls from an Airplane