Terminal Velocity Calculator
How fast does a falling object end up going?
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Terminal velocity (m/s)
Terminal velocity (m/s)
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Terminal velocity (km/h)
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Terminal velocity (mph)
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Terminal Velocity Calculator by TheCalcTools
How the Terminal Velocity Calculator works
Enter the object’s mass, drag coefficient and the area facing the airflow.
At terminal velocity, drag equals weight, so there is no more acceleration.
Solve mg = ½ ρ v² Cd A for v.
The formula
v_t = √(2 m g ÷ (ρ C_d A))
Worked example
Using the default values shown in the calculator:
| Mass (kg) | 80 |
|---|---|
| Drag coefficient | 1 |
| Frontal area (m²) | 0.7 |
| Air density (kg/m³) | 1.225 |
- v = √(2 × 80 × 9.807 ÷ (1.225 × 0.7 × 1.0)) = 42.8 m/s.
- That is 154 km/h or 96 mph.
Result:
| Terminal velocity (m/s) | 42.8 |
|---|---|
| Terminal velocity (km/h) | 154 |
| Terminal velocity (mph) | 96 |
Frequently asked questions
What are typical drag coefficients?
A skydiver belly-down is about 1.0–1.3; a sphere about 0.47; a streamlined body about 0.04–0.1.
Why do skydivers fall faster head-down?
Their frontal area and drag coefficient fall, so terminal velocity rises well above the roughly 200 km/h of a belly-to-earth position.
Sources and further reading
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This calculator gives estimates for information only. Check important results independently before you rely on them. See our disclaimer.