Physics of Skydiving Essay - 1361 Words

The Physics of Skydiving What Is Skydiving? Skydiving is an adrenaline-based sport with a fairly simple concept -- jump from a high place (usually out of a plane) from several thousand feet above sea level and hope and pray for a safe landing. This safe landing is often times achieved through the use of a device called a parachute, which enables the skydiver to reduce his speed to such a point that colliding with the earth will not be fatal. This paper will explain a few of the key concepts behind the physics of skydiving. First we will explore why a skydiver accelerates after he leaps out of the plane before his jump, second we will try and explain the drag forces effecting the skydiver, and lastly we will attempt to explain how†¦show more content†¦Lets examine a free body diagram of this situation. One may now clearly see why Joe does not accelerate downward while he remains is in the plane. The normal force of the plane is acting against the normal force of the gravity acting on Joes 100 kilogram mass (this is getting close to the maximum weight allowed for skydiving). Since the sum of the forces in the y, or upward direction, is equal to zero, there is effectively no force acting on Joe. Thus, the acceleration of Joe must be zero. Now that Joe understands why he is remaining at a constant altitude, hes ready to take his first jump. Joe is given the signal to jump from the jump master, and he steps right off the edge of the plane. Joe is now instantly accelerating in the downward direction. Joes acceleration will soon cause him to travel at a rapid rate. But exactly how fast will he be traveling at a certain time? Without this knowledge, Joe could easily splatter against the surface of the earth. In order to calculate Joes velocity at any time, T, we use the following equation: X = Vi * T + .5 * g * t^2 Where X is the change in distance, Vi is the initial velocity, t is time, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. Since we know Joes initial velocity was 0, and the acceleration of gravity is always 9.8 m/s^2, we can calculate how far Joe has traveled at any point in time. Lets examine the new free body diagram for this situation. As you can see, the normal force is nowShow MoreRelated Physics is Everywhere Essay1852 Words   |  8 PagesPhysics is Everywhere Physics is like math; it is always being used everywhere, whether we are conscious of it or not. With the use and knowledge of physics, one can take into account that knowledge to help them perform a deed more successfully and efficient. Although skydiving and weight lifting aren’t the only activities that involve physics, I feel that they are some of the most interesting and benefit seeking activities. Without the knowledge of physics, skydiving wouldn’t be as safeRead More Skydiving History and Today Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pages The first ideas of freefall did not consider the evolution of human body flight that skydiving has become today. In fact, Leonardo Da Vinci, who we now consider the â€Å"Father of the Parachute,† designed the first conceivable sketch of a parachute. His original idea was to build a device to rescue people from burning buildings, not knowing what his impact may be on the sport six centuries later. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Andre Jacques Garnerin is recorded to make the first exhibition jump in ParisRead MoreThings to Do Before You Die1037 Words   |  5 Pagesmy life, and the likely hood is high, hence the grandparents living on the coast. 7. Skydiving: Skydiving, in case you didnt already know, is the act of jumping out of a plane at high altitudes and free falling until the optimal parachute release height and the deploying the parachute and slowly lofting down to the surface. It is a high thrill experience and I would love to one day take part in it.. Skydiving however, probably isnt cheap so I may have to wait awhile, but thats fine because oddsRead MoreEver since I have used a computer, I have been captivated by the incredible world of the digital600 Words   |  3 Pagespart of this exponential growth. The A-levels subjects I chose have all been helping me to develop an understanding of not only the subject, but also a great deal around it. Maths and Physics are supporting me to improve my analytical and evaluative skills and have also aided me to enhance my logical thinking. Physics has introduced my curiosity to mind boggling phenomena, such as superconductivity and the effect it can have in the field of computers. The fact that a quantum computer such as the D-waveRead MoreEssay on The Purpose of Life1856 Words   |  8 Pagesvarying views and opinions about how we should live our lives forms multitudes of lifestyles, and more are popping up still today. In my own personal opinion, the purpose of life is to live it. We would not be here if it weren’t for the laws of physics that formed the Van der Waals bonds between carbon and hydrogen atoms to create the first organic compounds in the primeval Earth. We would not be here if it weren’t for that mass extinction in the Mesozoic era that cleared the way for smaller, weaker