Terminal velocity

[daught]

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Campfire argument:

If you drop two balls that are shaped the same and they have the same coefficient of friction, but different weights does the heavier one reach a higher terminal velocity? This is in regular still air NOT vacuum.

 

[RockerGuy]

Campfire argument:

If you drop two balls that are shaped the same and they have the same coefficient of friction, but different weights does the heavier one reach a higher terminal velocity? This is in regular still air NOT vacuum.

Since when you make such random threads?

I am starting to think about math I did 15 yrs ago.
I'm going to hazard a guess and say the heavier one has a higher terminal velocity

 

[N3WMAN]

Heavier ball will have a higher terminal velocity.

 

[Ugur Dinch]

Mathematically, terminal velocity—without considering buoyancy effects—is given by

where

• 
  is terminal velocity,
• 
  is the mass of the falling object,
• 
  is the acceleration due to gravity,
• 
  is the drag coefficient,
• 
  is the density of the fluid through which the object is falling, and
• 
  is the projected area of the object.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_velocity

 

[caboose56]

Campfire argument:

If you drop two balls that are shaped the same and they have the same coefficient of friction, but different weights does the heavier one reach a higher terminal velocity? This is in regular still air NOT vacuum.

What Newman said.

 

[inreb]

Isn't terminal velocity terminal velocity. Both balls will reach it at some point.

 

[steve220s]

They will both reach their terminal velocity, but the heavier ball will have a higher velocity as evident by the equation posted above.

 

[inreb]

They will both reach their terminal velocity, but the heavier ball will have a higher velocity as evident by the equation posted above.

Ya, the tip off is that there is a formula for terminal velocity with variables and stuff. I got confused by the campfire argument component of the original post. Flashbacks.

 

[daught]

Oke good answer ugur.

Now, does weight have much influence in a car's top speed? I thought weight only affects a car's acceleration.

Y do I post this, rockerguy? I am busy skiing and hiking in Washington and my only access to the internet is rare off an ancient symbian phone.

 

[caboose56]

IE, same car with a 300lb driver and a 100lb driver? No affect on top speed.

 

[Ugur Dinch]

Oke good answer ugur.

Now, does weight have much influence in a car's top speed? I thought weight only affects a car's acceleration.

Y do I post this, rockerguy? I am busy skiing and hiking in Washington and my only access to the internet is rare off an ancient symbian phone.

I haven't thought it thoroughly but, in the formula above, if you substitute gravity with the acceleration of the car, then it turns into;

Vt = [ (2ma) / (pACd) ] ^ (1/2)
which is same as the one below - by using F = ma
Vt = [ (2F) / (pACd) ] ^ (1/2)
where the F is the torque of the engine. No mass is involved in the final equation, so the answer is no as caboose said.

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