Higher Tier: Quantitative Analysis of Terminal Velocity
Part of Terminal Velocity — GCSE Physics
This higher tier covers Higher Tier: Quantitative Analysis of Terminal Velocity within Terminal Velocity for GCSE Physics. Revise Terminal Velocity in Extra Topics for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 10 of 13 in this topic. This section is most useful once the core foundation idea is secure, because it adds the detail that pushes answers higher.
Topic position
Section 10 of 13
Practice
13 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
🎓 Higher Tier: Quantitative Analysis of Terminal Velocity
At terminal velocity, we can write an equation linking the forces:
Weight = Drag force
mg = k v² (where k is a drag constant depending on shape, size and fluid density)
Rearranging to find terminal velocity:
v_terminal = √(mg / k)
This tells us:
- If mass doubles, terminal velocity increases by a factor of √2 (about 1.41 times)
- If the drag constant k doubles (e.g. by doubling surface area), terminal velocity decreases by √2
This is why a heavier person falls faster even with the same parachute — their higher weight requires a higher speed before drag is large enough to balance it.