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A bowling ball is dropped from rest. What is the ball’s velocity after falling for 4 seconds? (Please show your work!)

A. 39.2 m/s
B. 19.6 m/s
C. 9.8 m/s
D. 78.4 m/s

User Etna
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1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The bowling ball's velocity after falling for 4 seconds is 39.2 m/s, calculated using the equation v = u + gt with the values u = 0 m/s, g = 9.8 m/s², and t = 4 seconds. Mass does not affect this computation.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the bowling ball's velocity after it has been dropped and fallen for 4 seconds, we use the equation of motion under constant acceleration due to gravity (g = 9.8 m/s²):

v = u + gt

Where:
v = final velocity (what we are looking for),
u = initial velocity (0 m/s, since the ball is dropped from rest),
g = acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²),
t = time the ball has been falling (4 seconds).

Plugging the values into the equation:

v = 0 m/s + (9.8 m/s² × 4 s) = 39.2 m/s

So, the ball's velocity after falling for 4 seconds is 39.2 m/s (Option A).

It is important to note that the final answer for the velocity of the bowling ball at the end of its drop does not depend on the mass of the ball. This is because the acceleration due to gravity is constant for all objects regardless of their mass (ignoring air resistance).

User Nicholas Piasecki
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