Terminal velocity of spheres in air · CAP 2006 #12
Physics · mechanics
Problem
Two solid spheres manufactured of the same material freely fall down in the air. One sphere has a diameter twice as large as the other. The force due to air resistance is proportional to the cross-sectional area of a moving object and is a quadratic function of the speed of an object. Some time after the beginning of motion in the presence of air resistance, the velocity of each sphere becomes constant. It is called the terminal velocity. The ratio of terminal velocities of the spheres v_big/v_small is:
(a) 2; (b) √2; (c) 1/2; (d) 1/√2