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Science

Drag Force Calculator

Enter the fluid density (air or water), relative velocity, drag coefficient Cd and frontal cross-section A, and the tool returns the drag force Fd = ½·ρ·v²·Cd·A together with the minimum power P = Fd·v required to hold that speed. Useful for cycling, automotive, skydiving and ballistic scenarios.

Drag force Fd

Force on the body in the direction opposing its motion.

Power to overcome drag

P = Fd · v — minimum power required to hold this speed (gravity, rolling and mechanical losses not included).

Drag force in other units

N newtons
kN kilonewtons
lbf pounds-force
kgf kilograms-force
dyn dynes

Formula

Fd = ½ · ρ · v² · Cd · A · P = Fd · v

Drag scales with v² — doubling speed quadruples the force and octuples the power. Cd varies with shape and Reynolds number; preset values are textbook typicals.

Formula

Fd = ½ · ρ · v² · Cd · A P = Fd · v

Frequently asked

I don't know my drag coefficient — how do I pick one?

Use the "Body shape" preset — typical textbook and SAE values are: passenger sedan 0.28–0.32, SUV 0.40–0.50, box truck 0.70–0.90, upright cyclist 1.0–1.2, cyclist on the drops 0.85–0.90, full TT tuck 0.6–0.7, belly-to-earth skydiver ~1.0, head-down skydiver 0.5–0.7, round parachute 1.3–1.5, face-on flat plate ~1.28, smooth sphere ~0.47, streamlined fairing 0.04–0.10. For a specific car model you can look up the manufacturer-published Cd (e.g. Tesla Model 3 ≈ 0.23).

Why does drag set a top speed for a car or skydiver?

Because drag rises with v² and the power needed rises with v³, while an engine or human body has a finite power output. When propulsion power equals drag power, acceleration is zero and the speed is locked. For a 75 kg skydiver with Cd·A ≈ 0.7 m², setting Fd = mg ≈ 736 N gives Fd = ½·1.225·v²·0.7, so v ≈ 53 m/s ≈ 190 km/h — the textbook belly-to-earth terminal velocity. The same logic gives a 100 kW sedan (Cd ≈ 0.30, A ≈ 2.2 m²) a theoretical top speed of about 240 km/h: beyond that, drag eats all the available power.

Is this formula still accurate at very low or very high speeds?

The drag equation Fd = ½·ρ·v²·Cd·A is valid in the everyday Reynolds-number regime (≈ 10³–10⁶) — vehicles, cyclists, skydivers, sports balls. At very low Re (< 1, e.g. micro-organisms in water) viscous Stokes drag F = 6πμrv takes over. Near or above the speed of sound (M ≥ 0.3) air becomes compressible and Cd varies strongly with Mach number, so you need a drag-vs-Mach curve. The preset Cd values here assume the low-subsonic, Re ≈ 10⁴–10⁶ regime.

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