The Physics of Skydiving

3 minutes 46 seconds

Now Playing As: Captioned (English) (change)

It seems like something strange is happening with the laws of physics when falling thousands of feet from the sky. Turns out, everything relies on the simple force of drag. Part of the "Science Out Loud" series.

Media Details

Runtime: 3 minutes 46 seconds

Topic: Science, Sports and Recreation
Subtopic: Physics, Sports and Games
Grade/Interest Level: 8 - 12
Standards:

Release Year: 2014
Producer/Distributor: Mitk12 Videos
Series: Science Out Loud

Glowing star shining light on a planet. Caption: That tells you there may be a planet around that star.

A humanoid robot holding a drill. Caption: to continuously pay attention to his surroundings

Squid with a white body speckled in reddish brown. The color of the head matches the color of the speckles on the body. Caption: His brain has total control over what his skin is doing.

Fine white tubes grow in the same direction. Caption: and carbon nanotubes grow like blades of grass.

Still image from: Engineering Engines: What Do Horses, Cars, and Planes Have in Common?

A man dropping a ball. Caption: potential energy gets converted into kinetic energy

Woman wrapped in a blanket. Caption: you'd have cloak that would be invisible.

A person skydiving. Caption: but all those tiny forces make a big force called drag,

Person holding a twisted strip of material. Caption: This shape is called a Möbius strip.

Long grasses and shrubs. Caption: More than 100,000 natural compounds occur in plants,