Which one among the following diagrams may correctly represent the motion of a skydiver during a jump?

The motion of a skydiver is a classic application of the concept of terminal velocity. When a skydiver jumps from an aircraft, their motion is governed by two opposing forces: gravity (acting downwards) and air resistance or drag (acting upwards).

• Initial Phase: Initially, gravity is the dominant force, causing the skydiver to accelerate. As a result, the speed increases over time.
• Increasing Drag: As the skydiver's speed increases, the air resistance acting against them also increases. This reduces the net acceleration.
• Terminal Velocity: Eventually, the upward air resistance becomes equal to the downward force of gravity. At this point, the net force becomes zero, and acceleration ceases.

Once the forces are balanced, the skydiver continues to fall at a constant speed, known as terminal velocity. Therefore, a graph showing speed increasing and then becoming constant correctly represents this motion.