I thought the fastest an object can fall is around 185 mph yet this skydiver hits speed close to 800 mph, what am I missing? Its still gravity he is working with isn't it?
Terminal velocity is when the force of gravity is equal to the resisting forces. The resisting force of drag increases when the density of the medium increases, in regards to free fall from space this is the density of our atmosphere. As our atmosphere is densest at the surface of the Earth, getting less dense the higher up you go the terminal velocity of an object is lower at surface level than from higher up. So: When objects fall to Earth from high altitude they often quickly reach terminal velocity for their height, then start to decelerate as the terminal velocity decreases (because the atmosphere gets denser as they fall). Thus at any point in which the object is decelerating during its freefall its velocity is greater than its terminal velocity - this energy can be seen as the "fireball" effect of things falling into our atmosphere.
The fastest an object can fall in the bottom part of the earth's atmosphere is 185 mph due to air resistance. In the top of the earth's atmosphere, there is less air, hence less air resistance.
Speed/Velocity are irrelevant in space and of minimal effect in low atmosphere, increasing dramatically as atmosphere becomes heavy and particles increase. Space walkers are going about 17,000 Mph.
If there's no air resistance, there is nothing to rip you apart. You don't get ripped apart by the speed. You get ripped apart by what you hit at that speed, even air molecules.
It's the drag or hitting something that would hurt you. Well, re-entry friction would do a number on you too. This is why in space you can turn your rockets on, hit 2000 mph, turn them off, and you'll keep going 2000 mph till you flip over and burn in the opposite direction to slow down. No drag.
I believe that he wasn't in space though, just on the edge of it. But even with a protective suit, how could a human survive that speed if even for only a short time. I noticed that once he dropped lower his speed slowed. Is there less friction up there or something?
As you go higher there's less and less atmosphere to slow you down. Speed doesn't kill you. It's the sudden stop
Good guess. And natural too. I don't have to dye it like one of those Bimbo's you see. Fake wannabee Barbie's.
Friction (in the form of air resistance) is what slows flying things down. Lower in the atmosphere there is more air, hence more air resistance (and more friction). Going fast only hurts if there is friction (air resistance).
So are you saying that once he hit atmosphere he slowed down to 185 or whatever the speed is? That's quite a steep drop from 800 and with nothing but molecules doing it. Sorry, I just like to know things and I'm unfamiliar with this and since I'm going to be a teacher (hopefully) it helps me.
Theres no terminal velocity in space. Well, there may be, but its far, far greater than 800 mph. Terminal velocity is (on earth) is the maximum speed something can fall as its pulled by gravity but being resisted by the friction of atmosphere. The higher you go, the less atmosphere, and thus, the higher your terminal velocity, which decreases as you fall and encounter more air resistance. He fell from high enough that he was able to accelerate in a relatively air-free environment thus traveling past the terminal velocity that we typically refer to closer to the surface.
So apparently Galileo was the first to write about this but he didn't understand it until gravity was discovered. Also, it appears that the heavier the object the more that gravity pulls on it. So if two men jump from that height and one weighs 200 and the other 300, would the bigger man fall faster? And I know there is a max speed at which an object will fall but that can be increased by something like a skydiver nosediving. I think or is that not possible?
OK, so another question. If there is no terminal velocity in space then why can't we just keep firing an engine and get to the speed of light? It seems if you are going 30,000 mph, hit an afterburn or whatever, it will kick it up and just keep doing that. What am I missing there?
We can continually accelerate towards the speed of light BUT we can never reach it. I think what you mean is why can't we go faster than light.
People with a difficulty seeing how this works could watch divers dive into a pool of water to get the idea. Divers hit the water at the terminal velocity for that height and contact the water and quickly slow down. The extreme jumper knows he will exceed low altitude velocity until he slams into air so he has unique equipment on himself to handle the high heat and speed. (for this practice i say speed and velocity as were they the same thing) The vast majority of us shall never use a parachute to get an idea what they endure. Space jumpers are very rare. And they spend enormous effort and time to try to jump safely and scientifically.
Einstein I believe made the claim that one can never exceed the velocity of light. We will in the future either prove it or show it is wrong. Space frees humans from the travel in air but much is still to be learned and proven.
Well, I'm sure it was a gradual slowdown, as the atmosphere doesn't just thicken at once. Air resistance slows things down. The more air the more it slows. At the start, there wasn't much slowing which is why he got 800 mph speeds. Then, as he hits air molecules he slows down. The more air molecules, the slower he goes.
