Understanding the Physics
* Free Fall: The object is falling under the influence of gravity alone, with no initial vertical velocity.
* Acceleration due to Gravity (g): The acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s². This means the object's speed increases by 9.8 meters per second every second it falls.
* Neglecting Air Resistance: For simplicity, we'll ignore air resistance in this calculation.
The Equation
We can use the following kinematic equation to find the final velocity (v):
v² = u² + 2as
Where:
* v = final velocity (what we want to find)
* u = initial velocity (0 m/s since the object is dropped)
* a = acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²)
* s = distance (45 m)
Calculation
1. Plug in the values:
v² = 0² + 2 * 9.8 * 45
2. Simplify:
v² = 882
3. Solve for v (take the square root of both sides):
v = √882 ≈ 29.7 m/s
Answer:
The object will be traveling at approximately 29.7 meters per second when it hits the ground.
