Question

A person standing at the edge of a seaside cliff kicks a stone over the edge with a speed of velocity intitial = 12 m/s. The cliff is h = 59m above the water's surface. With what speed does it strike the water?

Answer 1

The speed at which the stone strikes the water is 24.8 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that the initial velocity of the stone kicked off the cliff is 12 m/s and the height of the cliff is 59m, we can determine the speed at which the stone strikes the water using energy considerations.

Since there is no air resistance, the total mechanical energy of the stone is conserved. At the edge of the cliff, the stone only has potential energy, which is given by the equation PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the stone, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the cliff.

The potential energy at the edge of the cliff is then converted into kinetic energy as the stone falls. The kinetic energy can be calculated using the equation KE = 1/2 mv^2, where v is the velocity of the stone before it strikes the water. Equating the initial potential energy to the final kinetic energy, we can solve for v to find the speed of the stone when it strikes the water.

Using the given values, the speed at which the stone strikes the water is 24.8 m/s.