Understanding the Physics

* Acceleration due to gravity (g): The Earth's gravitational pull causes objects to accelerate downwards at approximately 9.8 m/s². This means the object's speed increases by 9.8 meters per second every second.

* Initial velocity (v₀): The object starts from rest, so its initial velocity is 0 m/s.

* Time (t): The object falls for 5 seconds.

Formula

We can use the following formula to calculate the final velocity (v) of an object undergoing constant acceleration:

v = v₀ + at

Where:

* v = final velocity

* v₀ = initial velocity

* a = acceleration (in this case, acceleration due to gravity, g)

* t = time

Calculation

1. Substitute the values:

v = 0 + (9.8 m/s²) * 5 s

2. Calculate:

v = 49 m/s

Answer:

The speed of the object after 5 seconds is 49 m/s.