A skycopter or skydiver is falling through the air. The table below gives the values of the acceleration of the skydiver at various heights above the ground.
height / m200015001000500acceleration / m/s28.55.21.80 \begin{array}{|l|c|c|c|c|} \hline \text{height / m} & 2000 & 1500 & 1000 & 500 \\ \hline \text{acceleration / m/s}^2 & 8.5 & 5.2 & 1.8 & 0 \\ \hline \end{array} height / macceleration / m/s220008.515005.210001.85000Describe what is happening, during the descent from 2000 m to 500 m, to: (i) the acceleration of the skydiver, (ii) the speed of the skydiver.
The acceleration becomes zero at a height of 500 m. Use ideas about forces to suggest why this happens.
Below a height of 500 m, the skydiver opens a parachute. Further measurements show that the acceleration of the skydiver has a negative value. What does this mean is happening to the speed of the skydiver?
The skydiver has a mass of 80 kg. Calculate the resultant force on the skydiver at a height of 1500 m.
183 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE Physics 1.5.1a Forces, resultant force and motion. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.