At terminal velocity, how long does it take an average jumper to fall 1,000 feet?

At terminal velocity, an average skydiver typically reaches a fall rate of about 120 miles per hour, which translates to approximately 54 meters per second. To calculate the time it takes to fall 1,000 feet at this speed, we first need to convert 1,000 feet into meters, as it's easier to work with metric units for this calculation.

1,000 feet is approximately 304.8 meters. At terminal velocity, if a jumper falls at a constant speed of around 54 meters per second, you can determine the time it takes to fall those 304.8 meters by using the formula:

Time = Distance / Speed.

Plugging in the numbers: Time = 304.8 meters / 54 meters per second ≈ 5.64 seconds.

This value is approximately 5.5 seconds, which corresponds to the average time it takes for a jumper to fall 1,000 feet at terminal velocity. This aligns with the laws of physics and the average experiences of experienced skydivers under normal conditions, confirming that 5.5 seconds is a reasonable estimate for this scenario.