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PHY 201
Your 'cq_1_23.1' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.
** CQ_1_23.1_labelMessages **
A wad of paper is dropped from a second-story balcony and falls through still air to the ground.
• As it speeds up, what happens to the air resistance it encounters?
answer/question/discussion: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> :
From chapter 2-7, if a piece of paper is crumple the paper up into a wad it would still accelerate the same as other object in the absence of air resistance. I vaguely remember something about increased speed equals increased air resistance from my high school physics class in 1999. So I am going to run with that idea for now.
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• What happens to the net force acting on it?
answer/question/discussion: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> :
As the wad of paper speeds up the gravitational force of the wad of paper (mg) will remain the same but the air resistance will increase. Therefore, n_force = mg - air resistance. As the air resistance value increases and the mg gravitational force remains constant, the net force decreases.
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• What happens to its acceleration?
answer/question/discussion: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> :
The acceleration would decrease. The mass would remain constant. Therefore, a = F / m. If F decreases, because it is the numerator and m remains constant, then the value of acceleration will decrease. Acceleration is proportional to F because mass is constant.
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• If it dropped from a much higher point, what would happen to the net force and the acceleration?
answer/question/discussion: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> :
Hmmm. I would imagine that being from a higher altitude it would speed up more and have the same effects. Would the wad of paper reach terminal velocity at any height it is dropped from or only from much higher altitudes?
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Very good.
The paper will approach terminal velocity more and more closely as it falls. Dropped from a higher point it will end up closer to terminal velocity, which is pretty much what you've said.
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