When a skier is going down a mountain is it a balanced force?

Answer 1

By definition, if he is accelerating, then it is an unbalanced force ... which means he JUST jumped out the plane and his downward speed in increasing. Once he reaches a particular speed (called terminal velocity; lets call it for a general case of about 110 mph), the force of DRAG will be equal to the force due to gravity and he will no longer be accelerating, no longer increasing in speed, and he will then have balanced forces.

Since the variables are always changing, drag will change with the most subtle changes in the skydiver's orientation either intentionally or unintentionally and the air resistance is constantly changing with increase in density, the forces will never be truly balanced. The effect of both forces will seesaw between one or the other being dominant. Terminal velocity is achieved when that process is minimal.

It is of note that the effect of gravity itself is changing but over a skydive, the effect is negligible and may be ignored.

Answer 2

Net force = mass * acceleration. If the forces were balanced, the net force would be zero, which would either mean the mass is zero (not true for the leaf) or the acceleration is zero. Since the acceleration is not zero, the net force is not zero, and the forces on the leaf are not balanced.

Once the leaf reaches terminal (constant) velocity, the air resistance is exactly balancing the force of gravity, and the net forces are zero.

Answer 3

Before a falling skydiver reaches terminal speed, she has positive downward
acceleration, that is, her downward speed is increasing. So the net force on her
must also be downward.

Answer 4

If you mean "balanced forces", no: if forces are balanced, there is no acceleration.

Answer 5

no

Answer 6

down

Answer 7

Unbalanced

Answer 8

Balanced