A solid steel ball is dropped from a great height and when its speed reaches 20 m/s its acceleration downward is 7.35 m/s².What would be the terminal velocity in this situation? A) 80 m/s B) 60 m/s C) 40 m/s D) 20 m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Terminal velocity is the maximum velocity reached by an object in free fall, where the force of air resistance becomes equal and opposite to the force of gravity. In this case, the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s² and the ball reaches a speed of 20 m/s before air resistance balances out gravity. Therefore, the terminal velocity can be calculated using the formula v = (mg/c)^(1/2), where m is the mass of the ball, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and c is the drag coefficient of the ball in air. Assuming a drag coefficient of 0.5 for a solid steel ball, the terminal velocity can be calculated as v = (2mg/c)^(1/2) = (2*9.81*0.5/1)^(1/2) ≈ 9.9 m/s. Therefore, the closest answer choice is C) 40 m/s.

A Solid Steel Ball Is Dropped from a Great Height