What is terminal velocity defined as?

Terminal velocity is defined as the speed of an object when the forces acting on it, specifically air resistance and gravitational force, are equal in magnitude, resulting in a net force of zero. At this point, the object ceases to accelerate and continues to fall at a constant velocity.

Understanding how terminal velocity works is crucial in physics. When an object falls through a fluid like air, it experiences a downward gravitational force and an upward drag force due to the fluid. Initially, the object accelerates downwards, but as its speed increases, the drag force also increases until it balances the weight of the object. This balance results in a constant speed—this speed is known as terminal velocity.

Other choices present concepts that do not accurately describe terminal velocity. For example, stopping while falling, maximum height reached, and behavior without air resistance are not relevant to the definition of terminal velocity, which specifically pertains to falling objects reaching a steady state due to the balance of forces.