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Physics vocabulary · Motion and Forces

Terminal velocity

Meaning in physics, with examples

nounCommon term

In physics, terminal velocity means: The constant top speed reached by a falling object when the air resistance on it becomes equal to its weight, so the net force on it is zero.

In Turkish: limit hız, son hız

How it is used

Used for skydivers, raindrops and ball bearings falling through oil. A skydiver falling belly-down reaches about 200 km/h; opening the parachute leads to a new, much lower terminal velocity. Exam questions often ask students to sketch the velocity-time graph.

Example sentences

  1. Once the raindrop reaches terminal velocity, it falls at a steady speed.

  2. Drop the ball bearing into the oil and start timing once it has reached terminal velocity.

Common collocations

  • reach terminal velocity
  • terminal speed
  • air resistance
  • drag force
  • velocityHow fast an object moves in a particular direction. It is speed with a direction, so it is a vector, measured in metres per second (m/s).
  • net forceThe single force that has the same effect as all the forces acting on an object together. It is the vector sum of those forces and decides the object's acceleration.
  • weightThe force with which gravity pulls on an object. It equals mass times the gravitational field strength (W = mg), is measured in newtons and changes from planet to planet.
  • gravityThe attractive force that every mass exerts on every other mass. On Earth it pulls objects towards the centre of the planet and gives them weight.
  • frictionA force that acts between two surfaces in contact and opposes their sliding past each other. It usually turns kinetic energy into heat.

More terms: Motion and Forces

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