Understanding the Physics

* Acceleration due to gravity (g): On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s². This means that for every second an object falls, its speed increases by 9.8 meters per second.

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

* Time (t): The object falls for 10 seconds.

The Equation

We can use the following equation to find the final velocity (v) of the object:

v = v₀ + gt

Calculation

* v = 0 m/s + (9.8 m/s²)(10 s)

* v = 98 m/s

Answer

Ten seconds after starting from rest, an object falling freely downward on Earth will have a speed of about 98 m/s.