How fast can swimmers go

This makes the power needed to swim independent of the distance. Also, since the swimmer is moving at a constant speed, the magnitude of the thrust force must be the same magnitude as the drag force. The drag force must, in some way, depend on the velocity of the swimmer. But how would you model this speed-dependent drag force? The best way would be to create some experimental method of measuring this force. For this post, let me assume the drag force is linearly proportional to speed.

This means I can write the thrust required to move at a constant speed as:. Where b is just a constant that depends upon the size and shape of the swimmer and the type of swimwear being worn. This means power from the swimmer is proportional to the square of the velocity.

So how about some values? Click the blue text of our comment to check them out! Thanks for joining the conversation, reid! Thanks for joining the discussion, Mason. For this Wonder, we explored the fastest swimmers. Peregrine falcons are the fastest flyers, but we're not sure how fast they would be in the water.

Hi, Liam! We think you might be talking about cape gannets. They are known to dive to depths of 40 feet at 60 mph! Check out this video from National Geographic to learn more! Thanks for sharing what you think, McKenxie!

The dolphin is fast, but not quite the fastest! We hope you'll explore the text above to see who's faster. Swimming is a lot of fun, lizzy! Have fun! Thanks for sharing your connection to this Wonder, Isabel! Perhaps you can ask someone in your class to time you as you swim some laps! It would be fun to compare your speed to that of a sailfish! Sailfish do not eat humans -- they prefer to eat much smaller animals like sardines and anchovies.

In the video, the sailfish were more interested in the school of fish than the humans filming them. We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:. Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply.

Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. Who is the fastest swimmer? How do sailfish move so quickly? Can humans swim faster than sailfish? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out It's time to dive in!

Ask a friend or family member to help you explore the following activities: Reading about swimming might have gotten you in the mood for a dip in the pool.

Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a field trip to a local pool, lake, or pond for a quick dip. Bring along a stopwatch, so you can time yourself while you swim. How fast can you swim from one side of the pool to the other? Challenge a friend or family member to a race! Want to know more about sailfish? Why do you think it's important to protect these magnificent fish? Can you think of any steps we could take to ensure their continued survival?

How and why do sailfish use their sails? If you could swim as fast as a sailfish and jump great heights out of the water, would you spend more time in water or in the air? Did you get it? Test your knowledge. Wonder Words turbo fast mind fair leap rate celebrate interest member athletic boggle aquatic movement fascinated competition intrigued prowess accurately Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion.

Calista Mar 25, Quick question! That means that by the time you've completed one lap in the pool, Phelps would have probably completed three. So, although 6 miles per hour might not seem very speedy on land, it's a different story when you're in the water. By Hillary E. He said: I say this a lot, but every single day I'm living a dream come true.

As a kid, I wanted to do something that no one had ever done before, and I'm enjoying it. How fast can Michael Phelps swim a 50? Who is the fastest 13 year old? How fast should a 13 year old run m?

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