Question

A wrench falls out of the gondola of a balloon that is 980 m above the ocean. Assuming negligible air resistance, what was the wrench’s speed as it hit the water?

The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s

Answer 1

The speed of the wrench as it hit the water was approximately 138.6 m/s, calculated using the kinematic equation for final velocity under constant acceleration and the given height of 980 m.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the speed of the wrench as it hit the water, we can use the kinematic equation for an object's final velocity under constant acceleration:

v = sqrt(2gh)

where v is the final velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²), and h is the height from which the wrench fell (980 m). Plugging in the values, we get:

v = sqrt(2 * 9.8 m/s² * 980 m)

Calculating this, we find that the speed of the wrench as it hit the water is:

v = sqrt(19208) ≈ 138.6 m/s

Therefore, the wrench's speed as it hit the water was approximately 138.6 m/s.