Answer :
Final answer:
The force of air resistance required for a 10.1 kg ball to fall at terminal velocity is equal to the gravitational force acting on it, which is 99.98 N (rounded to 100 N).
Explanation:
The force of air resistance (drag) required to cause a ball to fall at its terminal velocity is equal to the gravitational force acting on the ball. For a ball with a mass of 10.1 kg, the gravitational force (also the weight) can be calculated using Newton's second law (F = m*g, where g is approximately 9.8 m/s2). Thus, the force due to gravity would be 10.1 kg * 9.8 m/s2 = 99.98 N, which we round to 100 N due to significant figures. At terminal velocity, the force of gravity is balanced by the drag force, so the drag force must also be 100 N. However, this was not one of the provided options, so none of the options listed directly answer the question as it likely contains a typo. The conceptually correct answer would be that the force of air resistance equals the ball's weight at terminal velocity, which, in newtons, is numerically equal to the mass multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity (option c, 'Varies with altitude', is also technically correct as drag force does vary with altitude but the question implies at a certain point when terminal velocity has been reached).
