A raindrop is falling through the air with an increasing velocity. The forces on the raindrop are weight W, upthrust U and viscous drag f. Which of the following shows the relation... A raindrop is falling through the air with an increasing velocity. The forces on the raindrop are weight W, upthrust U and viscous drag f. Which of the following shows the relationship between these forces?
Understand the Problem
The question describes a raindrop falling with increasing velocity and asks to identify the correct relationship between the weight (W), upthrust (U), and viscous drag (f) acting on it. Since the raindrop is accelerating downwards, the net force must also be downwards. This means the downward forces must be greater than the upward forces.
Answer
W > U + F
When a raindrop falls with increasing velocity, the weight (W) is greater than the sum of the upthrust (U) and viscous drag (F). Therefore, the relationship is W > U + F.
Answer for screen readers
When a raindrop falls with increasing velocity, the weight (W) is greater than the sum of the upthrust (U) and viscous drag (F). Therefore, the relationship is W > U + F.
More Information
As the raindrop accelerates, the drag force increases until it reaches a point where the drag force and upthrust equal the weight, at this point the velocity becomes constant, also known as terminal velocity.
Tips
A common mistake is to assume the raindrop is falling at a constant velocity, which would mean the forces are balanced. However, the question specifies increasing velocity, indicating an imbalance in forces.
Sources
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