Question

Tyler is in downtown San Antonio entertaining the tourists with amazing feats of physics. He carries a nickel

(mass of 5.0 grams) up to the top of the Tower of the Americas and places it on the edge of the observation
deck, a height of 124 meters. Tyler pushes the nickel off the edge of the Tower, and then tells the tourists
that he will be able to calculate the velocity of the nickel just before it hits the ground. What will be the
nickel's velocity?

Answer 1

The velocity of the nickel just before it hits the ground is approximately 49.3 m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to calculate the velocity of the nickel just before it hits the ground, we recall the kinematic equation of motion, v² = u² + 2·g·h, where the variables of the equation are defined as follows;

v = The velocity of the nickel just before it hits the ground after it is pushed off the observation deck

u = The initial velocity of the nickel just before it is pushed off the observation deck = 0 m/s

g = The acceleration due to gravity = 9.8 m/s²

h = The height from which he nickel is pushed off the edge = 124 m

Substituting the given values and the constant, "g", we have;

v² = 0² + 2 × 9.8 × 124 = 2,430.4

v = √2,430.4

Using a graphing calculator, we have;

v = √2,430.4 = 14·√(62/5) ≈ 49.3

The velocity of the nickel just before it hits the ground = v ≈ 49.3 m/s.