Question

why doesnt an object falling from an airplane continue to accelerate? (1 point)
air resistance on the object will eventually equal the force of gravity.
hitting the ground stops the objects acceleration.
gravitys force diminishes as the object nears the ground.
the objects weight varies as it nears the ground.

Explanation:

When an object falls, gravity pulls it down (\(F_g = mg\)). Air resistance (\(F_{air}\)) acts opposite to the motion. As speed increases, \(F_{air}\) increases. When \(F_{air}=F_g\), net force \(F_{net}=F_g - F_{air}=0\). By Newton's second law \(F = ma\), if \(F_{net} = 0\), \(a = 0\). So acceleration stops.

• Hitting the ground is a separate event (not the reason during fall).
• Gravity's force \(F_g=mg\) ( \(g\) is approximately constant near Earth's surface for small height changes).
• Weight \(W = mg\) ( \(m\) and \(g\) are constant for the object near Earth's surface during fall).

Answer:

Air resistance on the object will eventually equal the force of gravity.