Final answer:
To find out the height from which the object was dropped, we use the motion equation vf² = vi² + 2ad and obtain that the object was dropped from a height of approximately 7.34 meters.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the original height from which a 5 kg object was dropped before hitting the ground with a speed of 12 m/s, we can use the equation of motion for an object under constant acceleration due to gravity (g = 9.81 m/s²). The equation is: vf² = vi² + 2ad Where: vf is the final velocity (12 m/s vi is the initial velocity (which is 0 m/s, as the object is dropped a is the acceleration due to gravity (-9.81 m/s², the negative sign indicates the direction is towards the ground d is the distance or height (which we are solving for) Substituting the known values in gives: (12 m/s)² = (0 m/s)² + 2(-9.81 m/s²)d Solving for d gives: 144 m²/s² = -19.62 m/s² × d d = -144 m²/s² / -19.62 m/s² d = 7.34 meters Therefore, the object was originally dropped from a height of approximately 7.34 meters above the ground.