Understanding the Concepts
* Free Fall: An object in free fall experiences only the force of gravity. This means we're ignoring air resistance for this calculation.
* Acceleration due to Gravity (g): On Earth, this value is approximately 9.8 m/s². This means an object's velocity increases by 9.8 meters per second every second it falls.
* Average Velocity: The average velocity is calculated by dividing the total displacement by the total time.
Calculation
1. Initial Velocity (v₀): We'll assume the object starts from rest, so v₀ = 0 m/s.
2. Final Velocity (v): To find the final velocity after 10 seconds, use the equation:
v = v₀ + at
v = 0 + (9.8 m/s²)(10 s)
v = 98 m/s
3. Average Velocity (vₐ): The average velocity is the average of the initial and final velocities:
vₐ = (v₀ + v) / 2
vₐ = (0 m/s + 98 m/s) / 2
vₐ = 49 m/s
Therefore, the average velocity of a free-falling object during a 10-second interval (assuming it starts from rest) is 49 m/s.
