1. Understand the Physics
* Free Fall: The stone is in free fall, meaning the only force acting on it is gravity.
* Acceleration due to Gravity: The acceleration due to gravity (g) is approximately 9.8 m/s². This means the stone's speed increases by 9.8 meters per second every second it falls.
* Initial Velocity: The stone is dropped, so its initial velocity (v₀) is 0 m/s.
2. Use the Right Equation
We can use the following kinematic equation to find the final velocity (v) of the stone:
v² = v₀² + 2as
where:
* v = final velocity (what we want to find)
* v₀ = initial velocity (0 m/s)
* a = acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²)
* s = distance (5 m)
3. Plug in the Values
v² = 0² + 2 * 9.8 * 5
v² = 98
v = √98 ≈ 9.9 m/s
Answer: The stone will hit the ground at a speed of approximately 9.9 m/s.
