Understanding the Physics
* Free Fall: The ball 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 ball's speed increases by 9.8 meters per second every second it falls.
Formula
We can use the following kinematic equation to find the time (t):
d = v₀t + (1/2)gt²
Where:
* d = distance (5.0 m)
* v₀ = initial velocity (0 m/s since the ball is released from rest)
* g = acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²)
* t = time (what we want to find)
Solving for Time
1. Plug in the values:
5.0 m = (0 m/s)t + (1/2)(9.8 m/s²)t²
2. Simplify:
5.0 m = 4.9 m/s² * t²
3. Solve for t²:
t² = 5.0 m / 4.9 m/s²
t² ≈ 1.02 s²
4. Take the square root to find t:
t ≈ √1.02 s²
t ≈ 1.01 s
Therefore, it takes approximately 1.01 seconds for the ball to fall 5.0 meters.
