In: Physics
A 540-g squirrel with a surface area of 875 cm2 falls
from a 5.2-m tree to the ground. Estimate its terminal velocity.
(Use the drag coefficient for a horizontal skydiver. Assume that
the squirrel can be approximated as a rectanglar prism with
cross-sectional area of width 11.2 cm and length 22.4 cm. Note, the
squirrel may not reach terminal velocity by the time it hits the
ground. Give the squirrel's terminal velocity, not it's velocity as
it hits the ground.)
What will be the velocity of a 54.0-kg person hitting the ground,
assuming no drag contribution in such a short distance?
We know if area cross section is A, density of the medium is , drag coefficient is C, mass of the body is m, the terminal velocity is given by