please help settle this argument

[PhillyKev 0]

Bottom line is terminal velocity is determined based on mass and surface area. Unless two objects have the same of both, they will have different TV.

[riddler 0]

Geez - just show them some freefly video - there's plenty of sinking out in those. It's hard to keep the same fallrate when freeflying.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[RevJim 0]

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I hate that part cause I am 185-190Lbs with relatively short arms and legs.

Hence the midget porn and the affinity for short, furry animals.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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It has to do with shape, drag, and weight.

A jumper with a packed parachute and an open parachute weigh the same. Guess which one falls the slowest?

I think that's the best explanation I've heard.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[freeflir29 0]

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Hence the midget porn and the affinity for short, furry animals.

EXACTLY!

[themitchyone 0]

I know that some of my instructors had trouble keeping "up" with me, and one says when I start jumping with other people I'll have to arch my butt off or maybe even wear weights. Have your friends read these posts so they will be sure to know THEY ARE WRONG.

"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson

[Chute 0]

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Two friends of mine don't believe that two falling human bodies don't always fall at the same rate.
They don't believe me that jumpers fall at different rates.
Help!

Tell them to rent and watch
"Rozencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead" There is a great bit in it that explains what Bodyflight.Net is talking about. Plus it is a very funny movie.

Bottomless Beers and Blue Skies!

* Brother_Brian *
D.S.W.F.S.B. #2

[Ian84 0]

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It has to do with shape, drag, and weight.

A jumper with a packed parachute and an open parachute weigh the same. Guess which one falls the slowest?

Are ya gonna tell us??

[tbrown 26]

In a vacuum, they'd be correct.

[jumpinfarmer 0]

They still think they're right and I'm wrong. They both took physics in school and I didn't so they use that against me. Thanks for the help though. I tell them there's one sure way for me to prove it to them, thats to come up to the DZ and try it. Thats not going to happen so I guess I'll have to live with being wrong in there eyes.

[winsor 236]

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Two friends of mine don't believe that two falling human bodies don't always fall at the same rate.
They don't believe me that jumpers fall at different rates.
Help!

Two jumpers - identical twins with matching equipment. One has a normally opened parachute, and the other has a baglock.

Do you think they will have the same terminal velocity upon landing/arrival?

Why or why not?

[nbblood 0]

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They still think they're right and I'm wrong. They both took physics in school and I didn't so they use that against me. Thanks for the help though. I tell them there's one sure way for me to prove it to them, thats to come up to the DZ and try it. Thats not going to happen so I guess I'll have to live with being wrong in there eyes.

Wow, they must not have paid very much attention in those physics classes. Did they pass the course? I took physics in high school and college and it was very clear to me before I ever made a skydive that they are wrong. But whuffos will be whuffos. They're always more qualified to talk about skydiving than we are. Didn't you know that? (They teach 'em that in physics, you musta missed it)

LMAO at the whuffos.

Blues,
Nathan

Edited for spelling

Blues,
Nathan

If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

[PhillyKev 0]

Tell them to read this website

http://www.info-central.org/recovery_drogue.shtml

The formula for calculation terminal velocity is:

Vt = sqrt( 2W/(Cd * rho * A))
Vt = terminal velocity in feet/second
W = weight in pounds
Cd = drag coefficient - assume 0.75
rho = atmospheric density (about 0.0024 at sea level)
A = surface area in square feet

So, it's pretty clear that if weight and/or surface area between two objects is different, the terminal velocity will be different. Tell them to go back to physics class and look up Newton.