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

CONCEPT:

Skydiver's Motion During a Jump

• When a skydiver jumps from a height, they experience:
  • Initial free fall with increasing speed due to gravity.
  • After some time, air resistance increases and a balance is reached — this is called terminal velocity.
  • Upon opening the parachute, there is a sudden increase in air resistance, causing the skydiver to decelerate rapidly.
• This behavior results in a speed-time graph that:
  • Increases quickly at first (acceleration).
  • Then becomes nearly constant (terminal velocity).
  • Then decreases sharply (parachute opens and deceleration occurs).

EXPLANATION:

• Option 1: Shows the correct sequence:
  • Speed increases initially.
  • Plateaus (terminal velocity).
  • Then sharply drops (due to parachute).
• Option 2: Speed becomes zero too quickly and unrealistically; it doesn't match actual parachuting behavior.
• Option 3: Shows a symmetrical triangle which is physically incorrect — skydivers don't decelerate back to zero speed without cause.
• Option 4: Nearly correct, but less realistic than Option 1; it lacks a clear plateau for terminal velocity and the deceleration isn't as distinct.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 1.