Table of Contents
How does surface area affect air resistance?
The greater the cross-sectional area of an object, the greater the amount of air resistance it encounters since it collides with more air molecules. When a falling object has a large mass, it weighs more and will encounter a greater downward force of gravity.
What is the cause of air resistance?
What Causes Air Resistance? Also known as ‘drag,’ air resistance is a force caused by air. The air particles hit the front of an object, causing it to slow down. The greater the surface area, the greater the number of air particles hit the object and the greater the overall resistance.
What is air resistance and how does it work?
By definition, air resistance describes the forces that are in opposition to the relative motion of an object as it passes through the air. These drag forces act opposite to the oncoming flow velocity, thus slowing the object down.
Is air resistance proportional to surface area?
Background Information: The amount of air resistance an object encounters is directly proportional to its surface area and velocity. Terminal velocity, vt, is achieved when the air resistance equals the object’s weight and the object can no longer accelerate.
Does surface area affect impact force?
The force due to friction is generally independent of the contact area between the two surfaces. But when you double the length of an object, you halve the force on each square centimeter, because less weight is above it to push down.
How surface area affects drag force?
The total aerodynamic force is equal to the pressure times the surface area around the body. Like the other aerodynamic force, lift, the drag is directly proportional to the area of the object. Doubling the area doubles the drag.
How does surface area affect acceleration due to gravity?
The greater the surface area of the object the greater the air resistance. All objects in free fall accelerate at the same rate – 9.8 m/s² – regardless of their mass. Describe the effect of air friction and surface area on a falling object.
How does surface area affect drag?
Why does surface area affect speed?
The position in which the object falls changes the surface area and in turn changes the terminal velocity. If the object has a greater surface area it will have more room for air resistance to work on it. There will be a greater upward force and a smaller terminal velocity.
How does surface area affect static friction?
The force due to friction is generally independent of the contact area between the two surfaces. Note that this relationship breaks down when the surface area gets too small, since then the coefficient of friction increases because the object may begin to dig into the surface.