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A 2 kg object is dropped from a height of 10 m. Assuming no air resistance, what will be the object's speed just before it hits the ground?
25 m/s
20 m/s
14 m/s
10 m/s
14 m/s
The speed of a falling object under gravity can be determined using the principle of conservation of energy or equations of motion. By substituting the given height h=10 m and acceleration due to gravity g=9.8m/s2, the final velocity is found to be approximately 14 m/s.
The speed of a falling object under gravity can be determined using the principle of conservation of energy or equations of motion. By substituting the given height h=10 m and acceleration due to gravity g=9.8m/s2, the final velocity is found to be approximately 14 m/s.
Dropping a ball from a balcony is like a roller coaster starting at a high point; the higher you start, the faster you go at the bottom because you have 'saved up' more gravitational energy to trade for speed.
v2=u2+2gh тАФ Kinematic equation where u=0
v=2ghтАЛ тАФ Velocity formula for free-fall
According to the law of conservation of mechanical energy, the potential energy at the top (mgh) is converted into kinetic energy at the bottom (21тАЛmv2). Equating these, mgh=21тАЛmv2, simplifies to v=2ghтАЛ.
The mass of the object does not affect its final velocity in a vacuum.
Acceleration due to gravity (g) is taken as 9.8m/s2 (or 10m/s2 for approximations).
Potential energy is maximum at the start and zero at the impact point.
Equations of motion provide a quick way to calculate dynamics without tracking every moment of the fall.
Assumes no air resistance, which in reality would result in a lower final speed due to drag.
Calculating impact forces in safety engineering.
Analyzing projectile motion in sports.
Using g=9.8m/s2, v=2├Ч9.8├Ч10тАЛ=196тАЛ=14 m/s.
Option B (20 m/s) is incorrect as it implies a much larger height or using g=20m/s2 inappropriately.
Option D (10 m/s) is a common trap calculation if one forgets the factor of 2 under the square root.
C is correct тАФ The final velocity is derived from v=2ghтАЛ, which equals 2├Ч9.8├Ч10тАЛ=14 m/s.
In competitive exams, if g is not specified, try 10m/s2 first; if the answer isn't an option, use 9.8m/s2.