if terminal velocity is the fastest an item can free fall, then if you were to shoot an item downwards, faster then it’s terminal velocity, would it slow down, or maintain that same speed? If it does slow down, what force is slowing it? Would it work the same way in a vacuum?

Question

if terminal velocity is the fastest an item can free fall, then if you were to shoot an item downwards, faster then it’s terminal velocity, would it slow down, or maintain that same speed? If it does slow down, what force is slowing it? Would it work the same way in a vacuum?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Think about the trajectory of a golf ball off the tee. The initial horizontal velocity is much faster than it’s terminal velocity so it does not make a parabola. It shoots out then sort of drops in at a much steeper angle than it was launched.