cq_1_231

Phy 121

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.

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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: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> : Since F=m*a, the air resistance will increase.

• What happens to the net force acting on it?

answer/question/discussion: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> : Gravity will be pushing down with greater force as it gets closer to the ground, and air resistance will increase with acceleration, so I don’t think the net force will change since a negative force and positive force are both increasing seemingly proportional for such a short distance.

• What happens to its acceleration?

answer/question/discussion: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> : It will accelerate at a decreasing rate, though I don’t know if that will really be noticeable over 20 or so feet.

• If it dropped from a much higher point, what would happen to the net force and the acceleration?

answer/question/discussion: ->->->->->->->->->->->-> : The net force would decrease since the force from wind resistance would increase more than the force from gravity.

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15min

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Good, but if you're within the atmosphere gravitational acceleration won't vary by much. See the link for a fuller discussion:

&#Please compare your solutions with the expanded discussion at the link

Solution

Self-critique your solutions, if this is necessary, according to the usual criteria. Insert any revisions, questions, etc. into a copy of this posted document. Mark any insertions with &&&& so they can be easily identified. &#