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RATIONAL EQUATIONS
AND FUNCTIONS
How does volume and surface area
affect a skydiver’s falling speed?
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CHAPTER
9
APPLICATION: Skydiving
How fast a skydiver falls
depends on both the volume and
the cross-sectional surface area
of the skydiver. Different falling
positions result in different ratios
of volume to cross-sectional
surface area: the larger the ratio,
the greater the skydiver's falling
speed.
Think & Discuss
The table below gives the volume and cross-sectional
surface area for a 70 inch tall skydiver in each of three
different positions.
Position
Volume
(in.3)
Cross-sectional
surface area (in.2)
Face-to-Earth
13,000
1300
Sitting
13,000
800
Headfirst
13,000
350
1. Find the ratio of volume to cross-sectional surface
area for the skydiver in each of the three positions.
2. In which position will the skydiver have the
greatest falling speed? Explain.
Learn More About It
INT
You will use a geometric model to write a rational
expression for the ratio of a skydiver's volume to his
or her cross-sectional surface area in Example 8 on
p. 557 and in Ex. 15 on p. 558.
NE
ER T
APPLICATION LINK Visit www.mcdougallittell.com
for more information on skydiving.
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