Understand how to calculate the terminal velocity of a falling object with our easy-to-use online calculator. Explore the effects of air resistance, drag force, and object properties on the maximum speed an object can reach during free fall.
Formula:
The formula for terminal velocity (vt) is derived from the balance between the gravitational force and the drag force acting on a falling object. It is given by:
vt = √((2 × m × g) / (ρ × A × Cd))
- vt: Terminal Velocity (in meters per second, m/s)
- m: Mass of the object (in kilograms, kg)
- g: Acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s2 on Earth)
- ρ: Density of the fluid through which the object is falling (e.g., air, water, in kilograms per cubic meter, kg/m3)
- A: Projected area of the object perpendicular to the direction of motion (in square meters, m2)
- Cd: Drag coefficient of the object (dimensionless, depends on shape)