{"id":89093,"date":"2025-06-01T07:29:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T07:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/?p=89093"},"modified":"2025-06-01T07:29:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T07:29:13","slug":"the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/","title":{"rendered":"The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q a"},"content":{"rendered":"

The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q acting on a skydiver :<\/p>\n

\n, ultra thick] (0,1.5) — (0,-1.5) node[below] {P};
\n\\draw[->, ultra thick] (0,1.5) — (0,2.5) node[above] {Q};
\n\\end{tikzpicture}
\n\\end{document}” \/>
Forces P (downwards) and Q (upwards) acting on a skydiver.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Which one among the following statements is correct about the two forces?<\/p>\n

[amp_mcq option1=”Force P is caused by the gravity and force Q is caused by the friction” option2=”When the force P is bigger than the force Q, the speed of the skydiver remains the same” option3=”After the parachute opens, force P remains the same while force Q increases” option4=”After the parachute opens, force P decreases while force Q increases” correct=”option3″]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
This question was previously asked in<\/div>\n
UPSC NDA-2 – 2024<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Download PDF<\/a>Attempt Online<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe figure shows two forces acting on a skydiver: Force P downwards and Force Q upwards. In the context of a skydiver falling through the air, the dominant downward force (P) is gravity (weight = mg), and the dominant upward force (Q) is air resistance (drag).
\nLet’s analyze the options:
\nA) Force P is caused by the gravity and force Q is caused by the friction. This statement correctly identifies the source of the forces. P is gravity, and Q is air resistance, which is a form of fluid friction. This statement is correct.
\nB) When the force P is bigger than the force Q, the speed of the skydiver remains the same. If P > Q, there is a net downward force (P – Q). According to Newton’s Second Law (F_net = ma), this net force causes acceleration in the downward direction, meaning the speed will increase, not remain the same. This statement is incorrect.
\nC) After the parachute opens, force P remains the same while force Q increases. Force P is gravity (mg), which depends on the skydiver’s mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Opening a parachute does not significantly change the skydiver’s mass or gravity. Thus, P remains essentially the same. Air resistance (Q) depends on the skydiver’s speed, the density of the air, and the skydiver’s shape and size (drag coefficient and area). Opening a parachute dramatically increases the surface area and drag coefficient, causing the air resistance force Q to increase significantly at the same speed. This statement is correct.
\nD) After the parachute opens, force P decreases while force Q increases. As explained above, P (gravity) remains essentially the same. Q increases dramatically. This statement is incorrect because it says P decreases.<\/p>\n

Both A and C are factually correct statements about the forces. However, MCQs typically have a single best answer. Option C describes a crucial dynamic event in skydiving (parachute deployment) and its direct impact on the forces and resulting motion, which is a common physics concept tested. Option A is a static identification of the forces. Given the options and the nature of physics questions regarding skydiving, Option C is likely considered the intended answer as it addresses a key change in the system’s dynamics.
\n<\/section>\n

\nThe forces acting on a skydiver are primarily gravity (downwards) and air resistance (upwards). Gravity is constant (for a constant mass). Air resistance depends on speed, shape, and size. Opening a parachute significantly increases air resistance.
\n<\/section>\n
\nWhen falling, a skydiver reaches a terminal velocity when the air resistance force (Q) equals the gravitational force (P), resulting in zero net force and zero acceleration (constant speed). Opening a parachute increases Q dramatically, making Q temporarily much larger than P, causing rapid deceleration until a new, much lower terminal velocity is reached.
\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q acting on a skydiver :<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1094],"tags":[1103,1129,1128],"class_list":["post-89093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-upsc-nda-2","tag-1103","tag-mechanics","tag-physics","no-featured-image-padding"],"yoast_head":"\nThe figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q a<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The figure shows two forces acting on a skydiver: Force P downwards and Force Q upwards. In the context of a skydiver falling through the air, the dominant downward force (P) is gravity (weight = mg), and the dominant upward force (Q) is air resistance (drag). Let's analyze the options: A) Force P is caused by the gravity and force Q is caused by the friction. This statement correctly identifies the source of the forces. P is gravity, and Q is air resistance, which is a form of fluid friction. This statement is correct. B) When the force P is bigger than the force Q, the speed of the skydiver remains the same. If P > Q, there is a net downward force (P - Q). According to Newton's Second Law (F_net = ma), this net force causes acceleration in the downward direction, meaning the speed will increase, not remain the same. This statement is incorrect. C) After the parachute opens, force P remains the same while force Q increases. Force P is gravity (mg), which depends on the skydiver's mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Opening a parachute does not significantly change the skydiver's mass or gravity. Thus, P remains essentially the same. Air resistance (Q) depends on the skydiver's speed, the density of the air, and the skydiver's shape and size (drag coefficient and area). Opening a parachute dramatically increases the surface area and drag coefficient, causing the air resistance force Q to increase significantly at the same speed. This statement is correct. D) After the parachute opens, force P decreases while force Q increases. As explained above, P (gravity) remains essentially the same. Q increases dramatically. This statement is incorrect because it says P decreases. Both A and C are factually correct statements about the forces. However, MCQs typically have a single best answer. Option C describes a crucial dynamic event in skydiving (parachute deployment) and its direct impact on the forces and resulting motion, which is a common physics concept tested. Option A is a static identification of the forces. Given the options and the nature of physics questions regarding skydiving, Option C is likely considered the intended answer as it addresses a key change in the system's dynamics. The forces acting on a skydiver are primarily gravity (downwards) and air resistance (upwards). Gravity is constant (for a constant mass). Air resistance depends on speed, shape, and size. Opening a parachute significantly increases air resistance.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q a\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The figure shows two forces acting on a skydiver: Force P downwards and Force Q upwards. In the context of a skydiver falling through the air, the dominant downward force (P) is gravity (weight = mg), and the dominant upward force (Q) is air resistance (drag). Let's analyze the options: A) Force P is caused by the gravity and force Q is caused by the friction. This statement correctly identifies the source of the forces. P is gravity, and Q is air resistance, which is a form of fluid friction. This statement is correct. B) When the force P is bigger than the force Q, the speed of the skydiver remains the same. If P > Q, there is a net downward force (P - Q). According to Newton's Second Law (F_net = ma), this net force causes acceleration in the downward direction, meaning the speed will increase, not remain the same. This statement is incorrect. C) After the parachute opens, force P remains the same while force Q increases. Force P is gravity (mg), which depends on the skydiver's mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Opening a parachute does not significantly change the skydiver's mass or gravity. Thus, P remains essentially the same. Air resistance (Q) depends on the skydiver's speed, the density of the air, and the skydiver's shape and size (drag coefficient and area). Opening a parachute dramatically increases the surface area and drag coefficient, causing the air resistance force Q to increase significantly at the same speed. This statement is correct. D) After the parachute opens, force P decreases while force Q increases. As explained above, P (gravity) remains essentially the same. Q increases dramatically. This statement is incorrect because it says P decreases. Both A and C are factually correct statements about the forces. However, MCQs typically have a single best answer. Option C describes a crucial dynamic event in skydiving (parachute deployment) and its direct impact on the forces and resulting motion, which is a common physics concept tested. Option A is a static identification of the forces. Given the options and the nature of physics questions regarding skydiving, Option C is likely considered the intended answer as it addresses a key change in the system's dynamics. The forces acting on a skydiver are primarily gravity (downwards) and air resistance (upwards). Gravity is constant (for a constant mass). Air resistance depends on speed, shape, and size. Opening a parachute significantly increases air resistance.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MCQ and Quiz for Exams\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-01T07:29:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"rawan239\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"rawan239\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q a","description":"The figure shows two forces acting on a skydiver: Force P downwards and Force Q upwards. In the context of a skydiver falling through the air, the dominant downward force (P) is gravity (weight = mg), and the dominant upward force (Q) is air resistance (drag). Let's analyze the options: A) Force P is caused by the gravity and force Q is caused by the friction. This statement correctly identifies the source of the forces. P is gravity, and Q is air resistance, which is a form of fluid friction. This statement is correct. B) When the force P is bigger than the force Q, the speed of the skydiver remains the same. If P > Q, there is a net downward force (P - Q). According to Newton's Second Law (F_net = ma), this net force causes acceleration in the downward direction, meaning the speed will increase, not remain the same. This statement is incorrect. C) After the parachute opens, force P remains the same while force Q increases. Force P is gravity (mg), which depends on the skydiver's mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Opening a parachute does not significantly change the skydiver's mass or gravity. Thus, P remains essentially the same. Air resistance (Q) depends on the skydiver's speed, the density of the air, and the skydiver's shape and size (drag coefficient and area). Opening a parachute dramatically increases the surface area and drag coefficient, causing the air resistance force Q to increase significantly at the same speed. This statement is correct. D) After the parachute opens, force P decreases while force Q increases. As explained above, P (gravity) remains essentially the same. Q increases dramatically. This statement is incorrect because it says P decreases. Both A and C are factually correct statements about the forces. However, MCQs typically have a single best answer. Option C describes a crucial dynamic event in skydiving (parachute deployment) and its direct impact on the forces and resulting motion, which is a common physics concept tested. Option A is a static identification of the forces. Given the options and the nature of physics questions regarding skydiving, Option C is likely considered the intended answer as it addresses a key change in the system's dynamics. The forces acting on a skydiver are primarily gravity (downwards) and air resistance (upwards). Gravity is constant (for a constant mass). Air resistance depends on speed, shape, and size. Opening a parachute significantly increases air resistance.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q a","og_description":"The figure shows two forces acting on a skydiver: Force P downwards and Force Q upwards. In the context of a skydiver falling through the air, the dominant downward force (P) is gravity (weight = mg), and the dominant upward force (Q) is air resistance (drag). Let's analyze the options: A) Force P is caused by the gravity and force Q is caused by the friction. This statement correctly identifies the source of the forces. P is gravity, and Q is air resistance, which is a form of fluid friction. This statement is correct. B) When the force P is bigger than the force Q, the speed of the skydiver remains the same. If P > Q, there is a net downward force (P - Q). According to Newton's Second Law (F_net = ma), this net force causes acceleration in the downward direction, meaning the speed will increase, not remain the same. This statement is incorrect. C) After the parachute opens, force P remains the same while force Q increases. Force P is gravity (mg), which depends on the skydiver's mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Opening a parachute does not significantly change the skydiver's mass or gravity. Thus, P remains essentially the same. Air resistance (Q) depends on the skydiver's speed, the density of the air, and the skydiver's shape and size (drag coefficient and area). Opening a parachute dramatically increases the surface area and drag coefficient, causing the air resistance force Q to increase significantly at the same speed. This statement is correct. D) After the parachute opens, force P decreases while force Q increases. As explained above, P (gravity) remains essentially the same. Q increases dramatically. This statement is incorrect because it says P decreases. Both A and C are factually correct statements about the forces. However, MCQs typically have a single best answer. Option C describes a crucial dynamic event in skydiving (parachute deployment) and its direct impact on the forces and resulting motion, which is a common physics concept tested. Option A is a static identification of the forces. Given the options and the nature of physics questions regarding skydiving, Option C is likely considered the intended answer as it addresses a key change in the system's dynamics. The forces acting on a skydiver are primarily gravity (downwards) and air resistance (upwards). Gravity is constant (for a constant mass). Air resistance depends on speed, shape, and size. Opening a parachute significantly increases air resistance.","og_url":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/","og_site_name":"MCQ and Quiz for Exams","article_published_time":"2025-06-01T07:29:13+00:00","author":"rawan239","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"rawan239","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/","url":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/","name":"The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q a","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-06-01T07:29:13+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-01T07:29:13+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/#\/schema\/person\/5807dafeb27d2ec82344d6cbd6c3d209"},"description":"The figure shows two forces acting on a skydiver: Force P downwards and Force Q upwards. In the context of a skydiver falling through the air, the dominant downward force (P) is gravity (weight = mg), and the dominant upward force (Q) is air resistance (drag). Let's analyze the options: A) Force P is caused by the gravity and force Q is caused by the friction. This statement correctly identifies the source of the forces. P is gravity, and Q is air resistance, which is a form of fluid friction. This statement is correct. B) When the force P is bigger than the force Q, the speed of the skydiver remains the same. If P > Q, there is a net downward force (P - Q). According to Newton's Second Law (F_net = ma), this net force causes acceleration in the downward direction, meaning the speed will increase, not remain the same. This statement is incorrect. C) After the parachute opens, force P remains the same while force Q increases. Force P is gravity (mg), which depends on the skydiver's mass and the acceleration due to gravity. Opening a parachute does not significantly change the skydiver's mass or gravity. Thus, P remains essentially the same. Air resistance (Q) depends on the skydiver's speed, the density of the air, and the skydiver's shape and size (drag coefficient and area). Opening a parachute dramatically increases the surface area and drag coefficient, causing the air resistance force Q to increase significantly at the same speed. This statement is correct. D) After the parachute opens, force P decreases while force Q increases. As explained above, P (gravity) remains essentially the same. Q increases dramatically. This statement is incorrect because it says P decreases. Both A and C are factually correct statements about the forces. However, MCQs typically have a single best answer. Option C describes a crucial dynamic event in skydiving (parachute deployment) and its direct impact on the forces and resulting motion, which is a common physics concept tested. Option A is a static identification of the forces. Given the options and the nature of physics questions regarding skydiving, Option C is likely considered the intended answer as it addresses a key change in the system's dynamics. The forces acting on a skydiver are primarily gravity (downwards) and air resistance (upwards). Gravity is constant (for a constant mass). Air resistance depends on speed, shape, and size. Opening a parachute significantly increases air resistance.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/the-figure-given-below-shows-the-direction-of-the-two-forces-p-and-q-a\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"UPSC NDA-2","item":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/category\/upsc-nda-2\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The figure given below shows the direction of the two forces P and Q a"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/#website","url":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/","name":"MCQ and Quiz for Exams","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/#\/schema\/person\/5807dafeb27d2ec82344d6cbd6c3d209","name":"rawan239","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/761a7274f9cce048fa5b921221e7934820d74514df93ef195a9d22af0c1c9001?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/761a7274f9cce048fa5b921221e7934820d74514df93ef195a9d22af0c1c9001?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"rawan239"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com"],"url":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/author\/rawan239\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89093\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}