Understanding the Physics
* Acceleration due to gravity (g): On Earth, this is approximately 32.2 feet per second squared (ft/s²). This means that for every second an object falls, its downward speed increases by 32.2 ft/s.
* Ignoring air resistance: We'll assume there's no air resistance to simplify the calculation.
The Formula
The distance an object falls (d) can be calculated using the following formula:
d = (1/2) * g * t²
where:
* d = distance (in feet)
* g = acceleration due to gravity (32.2 ft/s²)
* t = time (in seconds)
Calculation
1. Plug in the values: d = (1/2) * 32.2 ft/s² * (2 s)²
2. Simplify: d = 16.1 ft/s² * 4 s²
3. Calculate: d = 64.4 feet
Answer: An object falls approximately 64.4 feet in 2 seconds.
