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Stokes Law

I am currently doing a piece of coursework on Stokes Law and this is probably a basic question ( I have forgotten most of the stuff I learnt in this area):

F = 6(pi)(r)(eta)v

where v = the terminal velocity

but doesn't the above suggests that the terminal velocity increases as the drag force increases? How is this so?

Thanks
Original post by GPODT
I am currently doing a piece of coursework on Stokes Law and this is probably a basic question ( I have forgotten most of the stuff I learnt in this area):

F = 6(pi)(r)(eta)v

where v = the terminal velocity

but doesn't the above suggests that the terminal velocity increases as the drag force increases? How is this so?

Thanks


v isn't the terminal velocity in that equation, it's just the velocity that the sphere happens to have at any moment.
The equation gives how the value of the viscous drag force F depends on this velocity. The faster it goes, the greater the drag.

The terminal velocity depends on the balance between the downward force of the weight of the object and the upwards forces of drag (Stoke's) and buoyancy (Archimedes).
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GPODT
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Original post by Stonebridge
v isn't the terminal velocity in that equation, it's just the velocity that the sphere happens to have at any moment.
The equation gives how the value of the viscous drag force F depends on this velocity. The faster it goes, the greater the drag.

The terminal velocity depends on the balance between the downward force of the weight of the object and the upwards forces of drag (Stoke's) and buoyancy (Archimedes).

Ah I see.. Thanks!

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