Final answer:
The vertical acceleration due to gravity is approximately 0.218 m/s^2.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the vertical acceleration due to gravity, we can use the formula:
h = (1/2)gt^2
Where:
- h is the vertical distance of the object from the starting point
- g is the acceleration due to gravity (unknown)
- t is the time it takes for the object to fall (unknown)
In this case, the object falls for a height of 0.55 m and lands 0.12 m away from the table. Since the horizontal distance does not affect the vertical acceleration, we can ignore it and focus on the height alone. Plugging in the values, we have:
- 0.55 = (1/2)(g)(t^2)
- 0.12 = (1/2)(g)(t^2)
Dividing the second equation by the first equation, we can eliminate t and solve for g:
0.12/0.55 = g/g
This simplifies to:
0.21818181818181818 = g
So, the vertical acceleration due to gravity in this scenario is approximately 0.218 m/s^2.