The monsoon season in India is a season that can be described in many ways by various people. Some would say that it is a season of romance, while some would say that it is a season of gloom. On the other hand, if you asked a farmer in the eastern parts of Maharashtra, he would describe rain to be the blessings sent to the earth by the God. However, if I were to be asked the same question, I would say that it is a season of 'Deep Thoughts'. "Deep thoughts, "you would say and scoff at me. Well, it might seem funny to you but, one day I was going to my friend's house and my the grace of God, I had forgotten my precious umbrella. And as luck would have it had to rain heavily that day. As I got drenched in the rain, a novel idea of approaching raindrops occurred to me. If acceleration due to gravity is truly 9.8 m/s^2 then by the time the raindrops fall to the earth they should have acquired a speed nearing that of a bullet. Yet, we do not get unnecessarily pelted by liquid precipitation. There is an actually a well-founded reason for the same. As a raindrop keeps falling towards the earth, it experiences upthrust exerted by the layers of the atmosphere. As one moves closer to the earth's surface, the layers of the atmosphere keep growing denser and denser. Since upthrust is directly proportional to density, the raindrop starts to experience more and more upthrust. The raindrop continues to fall with constant acceleration until a state of equilibrium between the force of gravity and upthrust is reached. Once the point of equilibrium is countered, the raindrop stops falling with constant velocity instead of constant acceleration, thereby saving us from unnecessary pain.
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