A skydiver falls toward the ground at a constant velocity. Which statement best applies Newton’s laws of motion to explain the skydiver’s motion?

Constant velocity means the skydiver has no acceleration. By Newton’s second law, zero acceleration occurs when the net force is zero, so the upward air resistance balances the downward force of gravity. Therefore, the statement that an upward force balances gravity is correct; an unbalanced force would cause acceleration.

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