Final answer:
The cannonball's height of descent can be found using the equation for vertical motion under gravity. It is approximately 150.0 meters, which does not match any of the given options A, B, C, or D.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student wants to find the height of a cliff from which a cannonball was launched horizontally with a velocity of 56.9 m/s and landed 315.5 meters away. The time it took for the cannonball to travel the horizontal distance is given as 5.54481547 s. To calculate the height of the cliff, we will use the vertical motion equations of projectile motion, ignoring air resistance.
Since there is no initial vertical velocity (the cannonball was launched horizontally), and we are considering the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), the height (H) can be calculated using the following equation:
H = ½ * g * t2
Where g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2) and t is the time in seconds.
Substituting the given time (5.54481547 s) into the equation:
H = ½ * (9.8 m/s2) * (5.54481547 s)2
After calculating, we find that the height of the cliff is approximately 150.0 meters. Hence, none of the provided options (A, B, C, D) are correct, as 150.0 meters is not listed among them.