In this issue of Math in the News, we look at Felix Baumgartner's dramatic supersonic dive. It provides an ideal opportunity to study terminal velocity. For more math resources go to www.media4math.com.

1. Math in the News
Felix Baumgartner plunged to
Earth in a dramatic supersonic
drop. He dropped from over
100,000 ft. and quickly
accelerated downward. But his
speed leveled off to what’s
known as the terminal velocity.
What is terminal velocity? In
this issue we look at the graphs
of objects in motion with and
without wind resistance to get a Felix Baumgar tner’s dramatic
better understanding of terminal jump broke the speed of sound.
velocity.

2. Math in the News
Watch this video to see Baumgartner’s
descent.
http://www.redbullstratos.com /gallery/?mediaId
=media1902707739001

3. Math in the News
This BBC article also
shows a graph of
descent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news
/uk-england-cambridgeshire-
19947060

4. Math in the News
In free-fall, when
there is no wind
resistance, a
speed-vs-time
graph is parabolic.
Speed is
constantly
increasing.

5. Math in the News
The downward
change in speed
(acceleration) is
due to the force of
gravity. Without an
opposing force,
speed increases
quadratically.

6. Math in the News
But the Earth’s
atmosphere
provides the
opposing force,
slowing down the
downward motion.
The force of wind
resistance
increases as the
speed of the object
increases.

7. Math in the News
With wind
resistance,
eventually the
downward force
and the resisting
force are balanced,
resulting in a
constant speed.
This is the terminal
velocity.