A skydiver, who weighs 682 N, is falling at a constant speed with his parachute open. Consider the apparatus that connects the parachute to the skydiver to be part of the parachute. The parachute pulls upward with a force of 669 N.

Question

(a) What is the force of the air resistance acting on the skydiver?

(b) Identify the forces and the interaction partners of each force exerted on the skydiver.

(c) Identify the forces and interaction partners of each force exerted on the parachute

Answer 1

a) If 669 N is the upward pull and 682 is the downward pull, what additional force is needed to make a net force of zero?

The net force must be zero because (they say) the skydiver has constant speed.

b) They have already told you what the forces are; air resistance, gravity an the parachute straps pulling up. The "interacting partners" are the things applying those forces; (1) the atmosphere (2) the earth and (3) the parachute.

c) The parachute is acted upon by the atmosphere, the cords leading to the skydiver and gravity (its own weight). You figure out the reaction partners.