Terminal velocity calculator
A falling object stops accelerating when drag equals weight. That balance point is terminal velocity.
Sphere 0.47; skydiver belly-down about 1.0; streamlined body 0.04.
m2
kg/m3
Terminal velocity
42.776 305m/s
- Terminal velocity
- 153.99 km/h
- Terminal velocity
- 95.69 mph
- Drag force at terminal velocity
- 784.532
- Time to reach 90% of it
- 6.42 s
Show the working
- Mass = 80
- Drag coefficient = 1
- Frontal area = 0.7
- Air density = 1.225
- Terminal velocity = sqrt(2 * 80 * g0 / (1.225 * 1 * 0.7)) = 42.7763
- Terminal velocity = 42.7763 * 3.6 = 153.995
- Terminal velocity = 42.7763 * 3600 / 1609.344 = 95.6879
- Drag force at terminal velocity = 0.5 * 1.225 * 1 * 0.7 * 42.7763^2 = 784.532
- Time to reach 90% of it = 42.7763 / g0 * ln(19) / 2 = 6.421 78
Values are shown to six significant figures here; the arithmetic itself runs on exact fractions and is only rounded where a number is printed.
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The formula
- v_terminal = sqrt(2 m g / (rho Cd A))
- drag = (1/2) rho Cd A v^2
Air density falls with altitude, so terminal velocity is higher up high — which is how high-altitude jumps break the sound barrier.