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Topic: Terminal velocity (Read 300 times) |
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alien2
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Terminal velocity
« on: Aug 8th, 2016, 12:31pm » |
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A skydiver jumps out of a plane and reaches terminal velocity in freefall. However, his terminal velocity decreases even though there were no air currents and he wasn’t freeflying. What happened?
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dudiobugtron
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #1 on: Aug 8th, 2016, 3:32pm » |
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I guess it depends on how brave the skydiver is. If he is merely quite brave, then he deployed his parachute.
However, perhaps if he is very brave, then he landed instead!
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #2 on: Aug 9th, 2016, 12:55am » |
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I meant that at some point he still has terminal velocity but somehow it happens to be slower than the initial terminal velocity. Science is not my thing but I am sure you get what I'm talking about. Needless to say the riddle has omitted facts and it happens to be not exactly an ordinary situation and with a certain coincidence.
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| « Last Edit: Aug 9th, 2016, 3:21am by alien2 » |
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #3 on: Aug 9th, 2016, 8:48am » |
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Air is denser the lower you get, therefore the terminal velocity is lower. And it also depends on your position. Head-first and arms at your side you get a higher velocity than with your body into the wind and arms and legs outstretched.
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Wikipedia, Google, Mathworld, Integer sequence DB
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #4 on: Aug 9th, 2016, 8:57am » |
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I guess I am ignorant after all in that, I failed to mention that terminal velocity was significantly slower later on.
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| « Last Edit: Aug 9th, 2016, 9:00am by alien2 » |
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dudiobugtron
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #5 on: Aug 10th, 2016, 3:29pm » |
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on Aug 9th, 2016, 12:55am, alien2 wrote:| I meant that at some point he still has terminal velocity but somehow it happens to be slower than the initial terminal velocity. |
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Zero is not slow enough for you? 
As for my next guess; The skydiver is actually a 'bungee jumper'
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #6 on: Aug 10th, 2016, 4:50pm » |
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Nope.
I'm afraid the riddle has a tragic end.
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| « Last Edit: Aug 10th, 2016, 4:51pm by alien2 » |
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #7 on: Aug 16th, 2016, 4:26am » |
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on Aug 10th, 2016, 3:29pm, dudiobugtron wrote:
Zero is not slow enough for you?
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I'm sorry. You're not speaking my language. For a moment there I thought you was referring to a Japanese plane.
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Grimbal
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #8 on: Aug 19th, 2016, 8:57am » |
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He used the ejectable seat. He fell UP, reached the top of the free-fall curve and then fell down.
I am not sure that counts as terminal velocity before the speed is stabilized.
Or maybe he vomit in mid-air. Less weight and same surface gives lower terminal velocity.
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #9 on: Aug 19th, 2016, 12:24pm » |
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on Aug 19th, 2016, 8:57am, Grimbal wrote:He used the ejectable seat. He fell UP, reached the top of the free-fall curve and then fell down.
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This answer made me laugh. I needn't tell you it is ultimately incorrect.
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dudiobugtron
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #10 on: Aug 19th, 2016, 11:46pm » |
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Perhaps the man was on another planet. For example, Jupiter.
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #11 on: Aug 20th, 2016, 2:10am » |
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on Aug 19th, 2016, 11:46pm, dudiobugtron wrote:| Perhaps the man was on another planet. For example, Jupiter. |
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He needn't be on another planet to produce the effect you are looking for. See what I mean?
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dudiobugtron
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #12 on: Aug 20th, 2016, 3:01am » |
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Oh, I think I see!
The man doesn't stop falling when he reaches ground level, and instead continues to fall through a (very unlikely) hole in the ground.
Or, perhaps, the hole he fell through was a wormhole, which took him to somewhere with much denser air.
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #13 on: Aug 20th, 2016, 3:42am » |
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It ain't a hole in the ground or a wormhole. But keep thinking like that.
The clue: The man had to jump out of the plane. He had no choice.
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| « Last Edit: Aug 20th, 2016, 3:42am by alien2 » |
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alien2
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Re: Terminal velocity
« Reply #15 on: Aug 20th, 2016, 1:12pm » |
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on Aug 20th, 2016, 1:07pm, towr wrote:
Yep. He died in the ocean where he reached terminal velocity.
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| « Last Edit: Aug 20th, 2016, 1:14pm by alien2 » |
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