Physics (10th Edition)

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1118486897
ISBN 13: 978-1-11848-689-4

Chapter 4 - Forces and Newton's Laws of Motion - Check Your Understanding - Page 105: 21

Answer

Statement (d) is correct.

Work Step by Step

Since the sky diver is falling with a constant velocity, there is no acceleration and the sky diver is indeed in equilibrium. But it does not mean there are no forces acting on the diver. In fact, there are at least 2 forces affecting the motion here: the downward gravity force and the upward force of the parachute. Since these two balance each other, $\sum F=0$ and there is no acceleration as a result. Statement (d) is correct.
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