Understanding the Concepts
* Free Fall: An object in free fall experiences only the force of gravity. We assume no air resistance in this calculation.
* Acceleration due to Gravity (g): On Earth, this is approximately 9.8 m/s². This means the object's velocity increases by 9.8 meters per second every second.
* Initial Velocity (v₀): Since the object is dropped, its initial velocity is 0 m/s.
Formula
We'll use the following kinematic equation:
v = v₀ + at
Where:
* v = final velocity
* v₀ = initial velocity (0 m/s)
* a = acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²)
* t = time (6 seconds)
Calculation
1. Plug in the values:
v = 0 + (9.8 m/s²)(6 s)
2. Solve:
v = 58.8 m/s
Answer: The velocity of a freely falling object 6 seconds after being dropped is 58.8 m/s.
