Which force acts on falling objects to oppose gravity
When objects fall towards the Earth due to gravity, they experience a force that opposes their downward motion; this force is commonly known as air resistance or drag. Air resistance is the frictional force that acts on objects as they move through air. It increases with the speed of the object and also depends on factors like the object's shape, size, and surface texture, as well as the air density.
For small or slow-moving objects, air resistance might be negligible, and they would mostly experience the force of gravity. However, for faster-moving or larger objects, air resistance becomes significant. For instance, a skydiver will initially accelerate due to gravity, but as they gain speed, air resistance will increase until it balances the force of gravity. At this point, the skydiver stops accelerating and continues to fall at a constant speed known as the terminal velocity.